To be one with an Alien
by Maela210
Summary: Story set 4 years after the end of the Animé, in Heartland. Focus on keyshipping [Yuma T. Astral]. Contains: Yaoi, MPreg, slightly gender-bend Astral, VERY explicit sex :P (consensual, non-violent) and illness related accidents (to some degree) (because embarrassed Yuma is cute *O* ) I hope you all enjoy! :) (Also: English isn't my first language, so forgive any mistakes...)
1. Chapter 1

One

"Yuma… Yuma!". The 17-year-old boy shot up in the hammock in the attic, which was still his preferred bed and room, despite the fact that he did actually have a proper bedroom and a proper bed too. "What? Who? What? Where?" he asked sleepily, eyes only half-open. They quickly focused on a blue figure hovering in front of him, arms crossed over its chest, looking mildly irritated. "Astral!" Yuma exclaimed, startled at first, though he quickly recovered as Astral spoke again. "Yuma, really?" he said. "Now what did I do?!" Yuma asked, pouting somewhat. "You are going to be late for school – Again" Astral responded. Yumas' eyes widened. "What? No way!" he said, glancing out the window, just in time to see Karis car pulling out of the driveway and speeding off. "Oh man!" Yuma exclaimed, jumping out of bed, stubbing his left-foot toes on a wooden chest nearby when he did so and swearing colorfully because of it, as he quickly tossed on his school uniform and dashed downstairs, Astral following him down with a resigned sigh.

"4 years since I first met you, and still no change in your ability to get up in time. You really should have learned this by now" he commented, as Yuma grabbed his schoolbag, before snatching some leftover rice-balls from the previous nights' dinner into a lunchbox and stuffing another into his mouth, before continuing out the door in 4 jumps, heading for his usual bus-stop some 200 meters away.

"Eating while running… Again" Astral said as he flew beside Yuma "exactly like 4 years ago. Are you certain it has really been that long?". "Hey! Not fair Astral! You could just have woken me up sooner if you're that worried about me!" Yuma responded, half-choking on a bite of food as he did. "Not with the hour at which YOU go to bed, Yuma" the blue-skinned alien replied "as I am also worried that you are not getting enough sleep. It is not healthy you know. You could get very ill". "Nah, I'm fine Astral!" Yuma said, sending the other a bright smile "but thanks for worrying about me!". "Oh, fine are you?" Astral commented dryly, as the bus they had to catch passed them, heading for the bus-stop.

"Then I suppose your runny nose and coughing fits are nothing for me to be worried about either?". "Astral! I told you, I just have a cold! Now, quit distracting me already, the bus is about to leave!" Yuma replied, quickly swallowing the last bites of his breakfast before waving his hand in the air for the bus-driver to stop the bus again, which had just started to pull out to leave. Luckily, the driver saw him, and he hopped into the bus, showing his ticket and then heading for the very back of the bus, like always, after having received a none too pleased look from the driver (it was one of the regular ones though, and so he was used to Yuma often being late).

"Whew, too close" Yuma said in a faint voice to himself, though Astral, invisible to all but Yuma, were still hovering beside him. "You can say that again" the blue being agreed. The bus drive was half an hour long, through the thick traffic of the city, and had Yuma not caught the bus, he would have been at least an hour and a half late for school.

10 minutes into the drive, Yuma was nodding off, just as another coughing fit overtook him, making his shoulders shake as he rode it out. Astral looked at him with worried eyes, then hovered over the seat beside him (unconsciously, the one to Yumas' right, which was behind another seat, and not the one that was open to the rest of the bus, though theoretically only Yuma (and a few others, who had achieved the power to do so through various, different means) could see him and only Yuma, touch him, because of the Emperors Key). Placing a transparent hand on Yumas shoulder, Astral then asked softly "are you certain I should not be worried about this? You seem to be getting worse Yuma, not better".

Yuma glanced at him through half-closed eyes as he leaned his head back against the seat, pulling his bag closer to himself so he didn't take up too much space. "There's no use in worrying Astral. It's a cold, caused by a virus. There's nothing anyone can do about it, not even a doctor" he replied and Astral sighed. "Still, the least you could do was get some proper sleep. Sleep has helped cure you before, when you were running a fever" he responded. "You remember that huh?" Yuma commented in a low tone and Astral nodded. "Of course, I do" he replied "at that time, I too became ill after all. And even then, you had me worried for you".

Yuma smiled softly. He and Astral were partners, officially recognized as such in Astral world, as well as by Yumas' family and friends, although it was not widely known, seeing as Astral was invisible to all, except his other half and a few others. In the past, they had been worrying quite a lot about one another, with either one of them willing to sacrifice their life for the other, and Astral actually having done so once, which had completely broken Yumas' heart, leaving him depressed and locked up in his loft alone, for weeks, only coming down to use the bathroom (if he'd even done that).

But Yuma had finally succeeded in bringing Astral back, with the good will of all Astral Worlds inhabitants, and he and the alien had gone all out, saving not only Astral World and Barian World, but Earth as well, before they had parted for a time. Once the issues that had arisen after Yuma had beaten Astral in their final, fated duel, had been resolved to the best of Astrals' abilities and Astral had re-joined the two worlds of Barian and Astral using the Numeron Code, the alien had been allowed to return to Yuma to stay with him for as long as he desired, unless summoned to aid his world in another way.

Shortly after, Yuma had fallen terribly ill with a very high fever, which in the end had resulted in his admittance to the local hospital for three whole days, doing which Astral, as well as the Key, had been left at home, far from his partner. This, in turn, had made Astral ill too, which Yuma had found out about only when he returned home from the hospital. It had taken another 4 days for Astral to recover enough to aid Yuma in anything again, let alone hover to move around as he preferred.

So yes, Astral did indeed remember that time, very well. As such, it was also a fact that after they had become an item (and even before either one of them realized their feelings towards one another), Astrals lifeforce was tied closely to that of Yuma, even to such a point that it would diminish in a duel, whenever Yuma took damage to his life-points.

Yuma sighed. "I don't know Astral… Maybe you should be worried… But what if I promise to tell Grandma and Sis if I get worse? Would you be able to accept that?" he said in a low whisper, glancing at the blue alien. "That would be agreeable" Astral replied, sending a smile back to his beloved.

Yuma nodded, then leaned his head back against the seat once more and closed his eyes again. "I'm gonna take a little nap, okay Astral? You know where we usually have to get off, right?" he said. "Indeed" Astral responded "I will wake you when we are close". "Thanks Astral" Yuma said, and soon he'd dozed off.

Astral hovered in silence, observing his other half. He liked watching Yuma sleep. It was comforting to him, in many ways. But it was also obvious to him, even without having to use his telepathic abilities which he had so often in the past to communicate with Yuma, that the young man was quite ill. This worried him greatly, and not just because he always worried about Yuma, loving him with all his being, but also because of what was coming. He had intended to inform Yuma of it this morning, but the other had been so preoccupied and in need of speed, that he had not been given the chance to do so. He would have to soon though. He knew this.

It was already starting, though it was very faint in the beginning, but it would get worse and worse for every day, until it peaked, in roughly one weeks' time. And undoubtedly, Yuma would be affected by it as well, being Astrals partner as he was. And his symptoms too, would become stronger and stronger as the days passed. He HAD to be informed! But with him as ill as he seemed now, and apparently getting worse, Astral wasn't exactly pleased at the thought of burdening him even further.

Astral would surely need him though. What he was about to go through, required the willing aid of his partner. His mate. Normally it would be a female Astralian. But this time, it would be a human male. Astral wondered if things would perhaps be different with a mate like that, but he had no reference to learn from, so unfortunately, he would have to just… go with the flow. Not exactly a comforting thought, to the blue alien. What if Yuma got hurt because of his time? What if his human body couldn't handle what Astral knew it would have to? What then would he be able to do? He could not, WOULD not, find another partner, not even if it was just for these few days. He would rather die, than betray his beloved.

And if Yumas body couldn't handle what was to come, Astral would surely do just that. And then Yuma too, the alien feared, would be lost…


	2. Chapter 2

One – Chapter 2

The bell sounded, and Yuma stirred from his daydreaming only slowly. Glancing around for Astral, he noticed that he couldn't see the other and took a gentle, absentminded hold around his key. "Yuma… Hey, Yuma!" set a soft voice beside him and Yuma felt a hand on his arm, still on the table. He turned his head to see Tori beside him. Much to Yumas joy, Tori, Caswell, Bronk and Flip had all moved to the same high-school as him, though Caswell and Tori would be going overseas once they entered college, Tori to study in France and Caswell in England. Cat had moved to a different school, which did sadden him somewhat, as she too had become a great friend, but she told him it had been planned for quite a while, that she would attend a private high-school, and not a public one.

"Yuma…" sounded Toris voice again, this time worried. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked. Yuma blinked a couple of times, then let go of the key again and send her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Tori. Don't worry about me!" he replied, but then he started coughing again and Toris eyes widened slightly. "Yuma" she said, once he could breathe properly once more "you're ill, aren't you? You look pale and that cough sounds really bad!". Yuma sighed. "It's just a cold! Jeez, you're starting to sound more and more like Astral!" he commented, somewhat sourly. Tori stood up at that and straightened, grabbing her school-bag. "So, Astral is worried too then, huh?" she said "So why don't I see him around then? He would know better than me now, wouldn't he? And you're telling me there's nothing to be concerned about?".

The sting of still lurking jealousy was noticeable in her voice, but also something Yuma thought he identified as sorrow. It was no secret to him that Tori had been in love with him since they were in the 5th grade, and that once she had realized that he and Astral had a deep, unbreakable bond of a special nature, she had gotten jealous and had stopped talking to Yuma all-together for almost four months. She was the only one of his friends who'd ever been able to fully see Astral all the time, despite not being connected to him via the key.

Yuma had figured she just needed some time to work things out and find her own role in the whole matter and in the end, it seemed he had been right. They had become friends again, and she also appeared to have made peace with the fact that Astral now played the part she'd desired for years and even treated him like a friend when she saw him.

But sometimes, like now, it became obvious that Tori was perhaps not as fully okay with the situation as she led on. "Yuma" Tori said, and Yuma now noticed she'd moved to the door. The rest of the classroom was empty. "There's half an hour left of the break. Aren't you gonna do something other than sitting here?". With that, she stalked out of the room and disappeared.

Yuma sighed, then slowly rose, grabbing his bag and heading outside. He wanted to duel, but maybe he should pass on that today and just get something to eat and a bit of fresh air. He only remembered half of the last classes and the next would be math, a subject he still had issues with and really needed to pay attention to, to keep up to date in…

A pulsating wave pushed against Astral, as he stood facing his and Yumas' gathered numbers, arm raised, and hand reached out towards them. All 100 of them hovering before him, shining in the otherwise eternal night of the key-dimension.

Astral frowned. "Yuma is dueling" he said to himself, turning his head as if he'd be able to see something if he did. He longed to exit the key again. To return to Yumas side and duel along with him. Already, his energy had built quite substantially, faster than he'd thought it would (which was why he was trying to keep it in check through his own form of meditation). But Yuma was still at school and Astral knew he preferred for him to stay inside the key whilst that was the case, because Yuma otherwise tended to be… distracted, by his presence.

"Perhaps, if I only came out for the duration of his break, Yuma would not mind it as much" the alien thought to himself, but just then, another pulse smashed against him, and this one physically hurt. With a moan, Astral leaned against the machinery in which the numbers were usually hidden away, the one which was also capable of functioning as a spaceship, if removed from the key, like it had happened before, when the Barians' attempted to invade Earth. Lifting his head, he saw number 37 glow and take off and moments later, number 44 followed suit.

"Yuma!" he gasped "he needs me!". And as soon as he could focus again, Astral left the key to go to his lovers' side, intend on facing whatever Yuma was, that could result in even the alien being, feeling the pain of it, from inside the key itself…

"Astral!" Yuma exclaimed. He appeared somewhat bruised and dirty, as though he'd been kissing the ground shortly before and examining the situation, Astral quickly established that Yuma was down to 800 lifepoints, and face to face with three monster cards, each with more than 2000 attack points. Considering the two monsters Yuma had just summoned, the young man appeared to be on top at the moment, though the other person had 1800 lifepoints left, but that was only until Astral noticed the attribute of the monsters summoned by their opponent. Fire. And aside from that, their foe also had a pretty effective combo in play. In his spell and trap-card-zone was the continuous trap card "Backfire" coupled with the continuous spell card "Dark room of nightmare". A solid defense, despite both cards being of older date and not often used anymore.

"Yuma!" Astral called back, having taken in the situation "what is going on here? Who is this person?! And why are you dueling him? Did you wager a number on this match?!". "Astral! I don't know! I mean, no! Of course, I didn't wager a number! They're yours, not mine! What are you doing here?!" Yuma replied, staring at the alien with wide eyes, heaving somewhat for breath. Astral looked straight at him and then said "I sensed you dueling, from within the key. You were in pain! And then, when you summoned not one, but two numbers, right after one another, I knew something was wrong. I came, because I clearly felt that you required my assistance, and obviously, I was right!". "What? No, I have everything under control! Get back into the key! I'm still at school!" Yuma complained, but just then, he started coughing violently and fell to a knee, hand sprawled on the ground in front of him as he groaned, a hand over his chest.

"Yuma!" Astral exclaimed, hovering down to him and placing a somewhat transparent hand on the others back. "Yuma, are you alright? Yuma!". "I'm *cough, cough* fine, Astral!" Yuma replied, and wiped a hand over his mouth before rising again, though with some difficulty. "I… just… need… to finish… this duel!".

Astral gasped, as he slung his arms around himself, moaning quietly. "Yu…ma" he said, voice pained. "You're in no… condition, to finish anything! If you haven't wagered a number, then what is the shame in surrendering? You need… help". "No Astral… You know I can't do that" Yuma replied, staring at their opponent with burning determination in his eyes. "I never gave up before, and I'm not about to start now! I haven't lost, before the last card is played!". "But Yuma… you're severely weakened! I can feel my lifeforce… fading…" Astral responded in a faint whisper.

Yuma turned his full attention on Astral at those words, and his eyes widened with startled surprise. "Astral!" he exclaimed, but he didn't move closer to the other, nor did he give up the duel. Instead, he just seemed to steel himself further, and then re-focused on his opponent. "Hey, Tsukumo! Are you gonna do anything, or should I just declare myself the new Champion of Heartland City now?!" yelled the other one, another young man, seemingly some years older than Yuma.

"Yuma, please! There's no cards in your hand... that can help you!" Astral tried, but he was flickering in and out of existence even as he spoke and because of Yumas current illness, he was still weakening for every second, just as Yuma too was.

"No Astral. I can do this!" Yuma replied, though he was panting. Astral moaned quietly, but before he could say anymore, Yuma spoke again. "I play… the spell-card 'Pot of Greed'!" he said, and drew the two cards from his deck. Just then, the school-bell tolled, and his opponent growled angrily. "This doesn't end here Tsukumo! I will take you down and become the new Champion, mark my words! It's just a matter of time!" he said angrily, before turning off his duel-gazer and spinning on his feet, disappearing from sight.

Yuma groaned and panting, he packed away his deck, removing his own duel-gazer and falling to his knees once more, hands in the dirt before him. Astral was quickly at his side, having already recovered somewhat do to the unusual circumstances currently surrounding him. "Yuma… What were you thinking, dueling in this condition? You should be at home, resting!" the blue being started. Yuma groaned to himself. "Astral… quit fussing so! If I can attend school, I can sure as hell duel too!" he complained. "As I remember, I advised you against even going to school today, yet you still went. I expected you to at least have the brain to not strain yourself needlessly" Astral retorted.

"Just stop it Astral! This is who I am, you know that!... I'm going back to class!" Yuma said, effectively shutting down the conversation. Astral sighed. He knew Yuma didn't mean to sound so cold towards him. It seemed that he too, was being affected by this, faster than the alien had anticipated. With slight anxiousness, he followed Yuma into the school, determined to stay by his side…


	3. Chapter 3

One – Chapter 3

In the end, it was Tori and Bronk who finally convinced Yuma to go see the school nurse, who send him home immediately, ordering him on bedrest for at least two full days.

She would inform his teachers, she'd said, before making Yuma swallow two white pills and sending him on his way.

He hadn't spoken one word to Astral since the duel, but Astral clearly felt that his other half was still weakened, which of course also meant that he himself, was affected too.

There was another thing he sensed in Yumas' mind though, as they slowly moved towards the bus-stop, heading home. Worry.

And as Astral had figured, once they were on the bus, which was pretty much empty aside from them, an old couple up front and a young woman off to one side, a few seats in front of them, Yuma sighed quietly to himself, running a hand over his eyes.

"I'm sorry Astral" he started "for how I treated you back there. For… being so selfish. I could clearly see that you were harmed, suffering because of me, and I completely ignored you. I was just so focused on finishing the duel, and I".

Astral cut him off, sitting on the seat beside him, closest to the windows. "Yuma" he said "it wasn't your fault… Well, not entirely, at least. So please, stop blaming yourself. After all, we were saved by the bell, so there is no need to think on it anymore".

"Well, I would have had him you know. The cards I drew were twister and mystical space typhoon. With those cards, I could have destroyed both his cards, though granted, it would have cost me 500 life-points. Without those in play, I'd have been free to make my finishing move, utilizing 37s effect" Yuma defended himself.

"Perhaps so Yuma… That would have been a clever plan, I will admit that. Though, gambling on getting those exact needed cards with just one chance to do so, was quite risky indeed…" Astral commented, glaring at him in a way that always made Yuma lower his eyes.

After a moments silence though, Yuma suddenly glanced at him out the corner of his eye and said, in a curious voice "wait, what do you mean it wasn't entirely my fault? Are you saying you might have been in the wrong as well?".

Astral froze for a second, but then answered "I simply mean, that I was not exactly kind to you, once I exited the key. I knew you preferred for me to stay within it throughout the school-day, yet I went against your wishes".

"Only because you were worried about me though, right?" Yuma asked. "Well, primarily, yes" Astral replied, then continued "but once I did, I all but instantly accused you of gambling with the numbers, and that wasn't right. You didn't deserve that, so… for that, I apologize too".

Yuma now turned his head fully towards Astral and send the alien a tired, pale smile, reaching up a hand and caressing the side of the others face, sending unnoticeable shivers down Astrals' back, at the gentle touch.

Turning his head slightly, the alien then placed an equally gentle kiss, on his beloved ones' palm, their eyes meeting for an intense moment. "I forgive you" Yuma then mouthed, before leaning over and kissing the other.

Luckily, they were both well-hidden from sight of the few other people on the bus, or Yuma might have received some odd glances, for apparently practicing his kissing technique on thin air.

"I hope you can't get infected with human illnesses" Yuma commented in a faint voice afterwards, face still mere inches from Astrals and hand remaining on the others cheek, eyes closed. "I'd hate to have to give up on kissing you, for however long this cold is gonna last".

Again, the closeness with his partner send shivers through Astral, but he attempted his best to hide them, not wanting to worry Yuma.

It seemed to work, as the other commented on it no further.

"I do not believe you need to worry about that happening" Astral instead commented, placing his arms around Yuma.

He wanted to share his excess energy with his partner so badly. But not here. Not yet.

So soon, he pulled away again, hovering above the seat as his eyes remained on Yuma, who'd fallen asleep against him, head tilted to his shoulder.

"Yuma…" he thought to himself "I must discuss this with you. I hope you are capable of listening more, tonight" …

Astral woke Yuma up as they neared his house and they got off at the right place, though the bus driver had send Yuma a strange look as they passed him. Astral had read it as somewhat worried, but he couldn't be sure he was right.

As they unlocked and then entered the house, it was quiet and Astral quickly realized that no one was home.

Yuma sleepily tossed his shoes off in the hallway, dropping his bag on the floor as well, before he continued into the kitchen.

Opening the fridge to get himself a glass of milk, he noticed a message written on it. "Yuma. I'm attending a tea-party at an old friends' house, across town. Kari won't be home until late, so please help yourself to dinner. It's in the fridge. Love, Grandma".

Yuma didn't react much, as though he'd known this would be the case, just found his milk, poured himself a large glass of it, and then put it away again, before turning around and heading upstairs.

But Astral groaned inwardly. Considering Yumas condition, he had hoped that at least Haru, the grandmother, would have been there to keep an eye on him.

But instead, they were home alone and Astral was certain Yuma wasn't gonna eat at all, that night.

Still, there was nothing he could do about that fact, except attempt to coerce Yuma into eating at least a little and then keeping watch over him himself, despite his own condition. Sighing, he followed the young man which was his other half, to his room…

Yuma had fallen asleep just half an hour after turning on his TV and climbing into his hammock.

Astral could turn it off any time he wanted, but for now it was aiding in distracting him from his own symptoms.

Still, he couldn't sit still. He was constantly playing with Yumas deck, which he willed himself into holding in his hands, despite their semi-transparency.

Wait, semi-transparency? The alien locked his eyes on his hands and kept staring at them for a few long moments. They weren't phasing from solid to transparent at the moment, like they usually did when he was weakened by one thing or another, as was the case now because of Yuma.

Instead, they seemed more solid than normally.

Straightening suddenly, Astral turned his head and stared at Yuma, trying to read his condition.

It seemed unchanged from earlier. Swallowing, his eyes suddenly seemed to widen as he said in a faint voice, somewhat marked by fear "It's starting. It's really starting now! But, Yuma… He has to know!".

Just then, Yuma stirred slowly, moaning quietly under his breath. "As… tral… What's… wrong?".

When he didn't get an immediate answer, he sat up in the hammock, rubbing his eyes before glancing around, clearly searching for something. Or someone.

When he finally focused on Astral, the alien hadn't moved an inch. Yuma frowned. "Astral, are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Noticing the shimmering fear in Astrals eyes, his frown deepened into one of worry. "Astral?!" he repeated, more urgently this time, though still somewhat weakened.

Astral blinked a couple of times, then quickly turned his head away and pretended to focus on the TV once more, placing himself on the floor before it.

"I'm fine Yuma, why wouldn't I be? Go back to sleep. You need to rest" he answered, voice lowered in an attempt to hide his emotions.

But Yuma knew him better than that.

"See, now I KNOW something is wrong" he replied, touching the emperors key still around his neck unconsciously. "Talk to me Astral! We agreed not to have secrets from one another ever again, didn't we? So tell me what's up. I felt your fear. What are you afraid of? Is it because I'm ill? Cause I already told you".

"It's not that" Astral cut him off, before silencing again.

"Then, what is it?" Yuma asked, after a few moments.

Astral groaned under his breath, placing an arm across his chest.

"Astral!" Yuma exclaimed, voice now marked with anxiety. Slowly, Astral rose from the floor, let his arm fall along his side, and then turned around, hovering over to Yumas hammock, before the other could get out of it.

Once there, he stopped in front of Yuma, locked his eyes on those of the other, and then said "Yuma, there is something I have neglected to tell you".

"What is it?" Yuma asked nervously, still keeping their gazes locked.

"I had intended to tell you this morning, but considering how ill you are… I wish this could wait until you were better, but things have happened now that has made that impossible…" Astral replied.

Yuma took his hands now, leaning his head closer to the other until their foreheads touched ever so lightly. "Please Astral, tell me what's wrong" he said tenderly.

Astral took a deep breath, but then replied "very well then Yuma. But please, you will need to listen very closely to what I am about to tell you".

"Of course. I will Astral, I promise" Yuma responded and Astral nodded faintly. Then he began.

"There comes a time in everybody's life, where they pass from child to adult. So it is with humans and all things living on this Earth. And so it is with us from Astral world as well.

That time can be marked by a rite of passage, a change in personality, body or behavior, or simply by a number. For Astralians, it is the middle option. A change in body.

When that time comes, varies greatly from person to person, influenced by many things, such as level of maturity or the finding of a soulmate.

For me, that time has now come" the blue alien said.

"What?" Yuma said questioningly "but like, aren't you thousands of years old? And you're telling me that you are only now reaching maturity?".

Astral sighed softly. "I just told you Yuma. When it happens, are influenced by many things. Not just age" he replied.

"I know, but… Never mind. I assume you have more to tell me, considering your reaction to it?" Yuma responded. Astral nodded. "Your assumption is correct Yuma. I will continue" he said and went on.

"It is my belief, that my time has been triggered now because of what we have had for the past few years, and especially because of how it has developed through the past year, in particular. But there is a possibility, that something else, which I do not yet know of, might also play a part in it".

"So, what does this mean Astral? Are things going to change between us from now on? You said Astral world recognized us as life-partners, didn't you?" Yuma asked.

"Please Yuma, let me finish" Astral replied and Yuma shut his mouth tightly closed and nodded twice.

"Nothing will change between us at such, however there will be some immediate effects of it happening, which is why it is such an inconvenient time for it to occur right now, when you are ill.

First of all, I am entering what I will only mention as 'my time'.

'My time' is something that happens in Astralians when we come of age and become capable of producing… well, offspring. It is a time that affects both us and our respective partner and one that urges us to find our soulmate, if we have not done so already when first it happens. It draws us towards one another until eventually, we find our other half".

"What happens if you don't find your other half?" Yuma asked and Astral sighed.

"It is of no importance to us, as I have already found mine. In you" he replied, eliciting a smile from his human lover. One of those smiles, which he had always loved to see.

"I am still affected none the less though. I am still drawn to you and it will only get more and more urgent through the coming days, until I will desire to be with you so greatly, that I will be unable to exist without you in my immediate vicinity. This is because having a partner is of greatest necessity throughout this time" he continued.

"And… if you don't have… a partner?" Yuma asked, sounding slightly anxious.

"Then I will most likely cease to exist all together" the alien replied, resulting in a gasp from Yuma.

"But we do not have to worry about this Yuma. After all, I have you" he continued, sensing fear in his partner. Although he understood the others concern.

After all, neither of them knew how much of what was to come, if even any at all, Yuma could handle. Especially with his current illness raging through his body.

"How, exactly, will you need me through this time Astral? How much? For how long?" Yuma now asked, having composed himself somewhat again.

"Well, it will vary from day to day, though it will only become more and more until it peaks, in roughly one weeks' time" Astral replied, lowering his eyes slightly as he'd spoken.

"What does this 'need' entail?" Yuma then asked again, not at all satisfied with the answer from the alien.

"In my time, my body will continuously build more and more excess energy. As it builds, it will become increasingly painful to bear. I will need you to share that energy with. I will do this, by transferring some of it over into your body, at regular intervals. Intervals, which will need to become smaller and smaller as my time progresses.

In the final days, I will need to be able to transfer energy to you constantly, or it will get completely out of control, risking injury to any around me, as well as it might, in the end, consume me all together" Astral answered.

Yuma moved a hand, placing it on the others thigh, making him lift his head and look at him.

"I swear Astral, I will never allow that to happen to you, no matter what, if I can in any way hinder it. If I… if I lose you again... I won't survive that. Not this time. So please, use me whenever you need to, okay?" the young man said solemnly, locking their eyes.

Astral smiled ever so lightly, then closed his eyes and nodded once, though he did not speak. After a moment, Yuma continued.

"Does this mean you won't be able to stay in the key for a while? I mean, it's function is to help you recover after all, regenerate any energy you might lose, so that you don't get permanently damaged, isn't it?" he asked. "So, won't that work against you? In this particular case I mean".

Astral nodded. "It would be… troublesome, if you were to ask me to remain in the key for longer periods of time doing this, especially as it progresses over the next days.

If I remain in it for extended periods of time, whilst going through what is to come, it might become painful, as it will attempt to 'heal' me, by granting me more energy.

Throughout my time, I will also become more and more solid, a thing that's already started, and which will also build over the next days.

Remaining in the key whilst solid, might also be painful, because it is more of a spiritual dimension, though if I must, I could probably remain there for a couple of hours, at the most" he said "and even so, only for the first two days, maybe three, whilst this is going on within me".

Yuma sighed irritated. "Well, that sucks" he said, leaning back in the hammock, feeling tired and unable to focus on sitting up any longer.

Placing an arm over his forehead, he closed his eyes, then spoke again. "So, you'll be completely solid through the next week. Which means, everyone will be able to see you and your… special, complexion. And you can't stay at home even if I left the key behind, because it would be torture for you to be apart from me for a full school-day.

So, in other words, we're screwed, unless we find a way for you to remain with me, visible to all, throughout the day, without gathering too much attention to ourselves… Well, it sounds like I'll have a new desk-mate for the next days then. Ready to start school?".

Astral groaned quietly, crossing his arms over his chest, still hovering over Yumas hammock. "It would seem I will have to be, would it not?" he replied, sounding exasperated, though he secretly looked forward to being at Yumas side more permanently, at least for a few days.

"But Yuma" he then said after a few moments of silence "remember, the school-nurse ordered you on bed-rest for at least two full days.

Perhaps that will be to our advantage, as it will buy us some time in which to figure out just how much my energy will build, how to best transfer it to you and even if you can actually handle it physically or not, without worrying about the reaction of others when they see me fully".

Yuma nodded tiredly. "You're right Astral… And considering this splitting headache I'm currently suffering from, I'm definitely gonna take the nurses order seriously, at least for tomorrow. Then we'll see how I fare" he replied and though Astral sighed at his partners reluctance to stay in bed longer in an attempt to recover, he didn't mention it.

He was just happy Yuma willingly agreed to be his energy-conduit throughout his first time. He didn't know what he should have done, had he refused it.

"By the way Astral" Yuma then suddenly said, breaking his line of thought "do you need anything from me tonight? You said it had already started, right?".

Astral nodded, but then replied "no. I believe I am fine for tonight… But Yuma, you will need to know about some things which might happen to you too, as you are my partner, going into this".

"Which things?" Yuma asked sleepily and Astral knew he wouldn't be able to focus much longer.

"Mood-swings will be one of them. Like you experienced today, doing your duel. That is at least half of the explanation as to why you were so irritated with me, after what I did and said.

And then there is the excess energy-levels you too will experience, because you will be receiving energy from me repeatedly.

You, or I, might begin to fidget at times, when it's time for another energy transfer, especially if you are close to me, and at others, we might not be able to sit still at all, which could pose a problem in school I assume" the alien replied, and Yuma nodded.

"Makes sense" he commented, voice drowsy. He was dosing off it seemed.

Astral sighed. "I believe that is enough information for now. Please Yuma, get some rest" he said, already feeling Yumas mind drifting away as the young man fell asleep.

Keeping his eyes on him for a while longer, Astral eventually settled down in front of the TV again, though his feet were unconsciously tapping the air and his fingers never stopped playing with the remote control…


	4. Chapter 4

One – Chapter 4

Astral turned his head swiftly to the hatch leading up to the attic as he heard noises, as though someone was trying to open it, coming from its general direction.

Moments later, Kari stuck her head up through it, glancing around the room until she focused on

Yuma in the hammock.

"Yuma?" she said quietly, undoubtedly trying to figure out if he was asleep or not. Considering that he was 17 now, her doing this was a testament to her love for him, as well as the fact that it must be very late indeed, if she was looking in on the teenager.

When Yuma didn't react, she made as though to move down again, but then her eyes looked directly at Astral, widening as she continuously stared at him.

"Who the?" she began, surprised and somewhat loudly, but Astral quickly moved over to her and said in a lowered voice "so, you can see me now? I am Astral".

"Astral?" Kari commented questioningly, but then her eyes narrowed, and she continued "the Astral Yuma has been dueling with for years? We figured you were just a coping mechanism he developed back when all that craziness was going on".

"I assure you, I am as real as you are" Astral replied reaching out a hand.

By now, it was solid enough for her to take it, though she didn't, after which Astral retracted it once more.

"Right then" she just said "how come we haven't seen you before? And how come I can see you now?".

"I am afraid that is because only few can do so. Yuma can see me because we are connected, and Tori can see me, though I am unsure of exactly why that is. Others have been capable of seeing me on a few occasions in the past, but never any of Yumas closest family, except for Kazuma.

This is caused by various things, none of which are important for us to get into right now. What is important, is that Yuma needs your help" he replied, turning his head towards the young man.

"What do you mean he needs me?" Kari asked, following his example and locking her eyes on Yuma. "Isn't he just sleeping, for once?".

Astral shook his head. "Sadly no. He is sleeping, that is true, but he was actually send home from school today, because he is very ill. The school nurse ordered him on two full days bedrest, though I do not believe he intends to listen to her much" he said.

"Yuma's ill?" Kari asked, worried enough by this potential news, to have decided that questioning Astral further, could wait. Moving fully up through the hatch, she walked quietly to where Yuma lay, followed by the blue alien, and placed a hand ever so softly over her brothers' forehead.

Then her eyes widened, and she focused on Astral again as she withdrew her hand.

"He's burning with fever!" she said harshly, though she had lowered her voice at least somewhat. "Why the hell wasn't I called? Or grandma?!".

"Yuma did not want to worry you" Astral replied "and he convinced the school he would just tell you when we got home. He promised me he would inform you if he got worse, but he really never intended for you to know. He believes both of you to have enough on your plates already and he insists it's just a cold. One that neither of you could do anything about anyways.

But his condition troubles me deeply. That is why I wanted you to at least know, even if it is against Yumas wishes".

Kari groaned frustrated. "Dammit Yuma. Quit being so thoughtful! Of course we'd want to know if you're ill, idiot!" she swore under her breath, caressing Yumas cheek tenderly. After a while, she focused on Astral again.

"Thanks for telling me Astral… I don't know what you are, but Yuma has treated you like a friend since he was 13, so I guess I should give you the benefit of the doubt. He seems to have gained so much since you came into his life and in any case, if you care enough about him to go against his wishes, because you are worried about him, then how can I doubt your intentions? I guess you'll just be one more… presence, in his life, looking over him" she said gently.

Astral send her a grateful smile. "It means a lot to me that Yumas family and friends trusts me, so thank you for your kind words, Kari" he responded, and Kari nodded once.

Then she rubbed at her left temple with two fingers and moved away from Yuma. Looking at Astral again she asked "do you know where grandma and I sleep?".

Astral nodded. He did. After all, he'd been around the house for 4 years by now. "Right then" Kari continued "I have an important meeting tomorrow morning and I'd like a bit of sleep before I need to go. Would you mind watching over Yuma tonight? And if he gets worse, come and get me or grandma – or both of us".

"I have been at Yumas side for the past 4 years. I do not intend to leave it now" he replied "and I don't need the same sleep you do, so I will gladly watch over him through the night. In truth, I have no choice in the matter. As long as he is wearing the key, I am bound to him. But there is nowhere, I would rather be right now. Or ever".

Kari nodded. "I'm gonna go get some water and a cold rag for his forehead. If you dip the rag in the water and then hold it against his forehead, it might make him feel a little better. But sleep is as good a cure as any, as well" she said, turning to leave. As she reached the hatch though, she turned her head and looked back over her shoulder.

"Astral, since you're always with him, I assume you'd know. Has he eaten anything since you got home?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, no. He has not" Astral replied "and he usually has quite the appetite, so that too, is worrisome. I tried getting him to eat, but he said he wasn't hungry at all. He did have a glass of milk though, but considering his temperature, I believe he would need more liquids if his condition is to improve".

Karis hand tightened into a fist at her side as he spoke, but in the end, all she did was say "I'll prepare a plate for him too then, and a large can of water, as well as a glass. And then I'll bring it up here with the rest.

As I'm most likely not home when he wakes up tomorrow, you will have to try harder to get him to eat. Yuma doesn't function well without food, trust me. I know" before climbing down through the hatch and disappearing.

Astral sighed when she was gone, feeling himself shiver slightly with the energy currently running through him. It had already build quite a lot, but it still wasn't too bad. He could wait for a while longer, before he'd need to share it with Yuma.

"Believe me Kari. I might only have known Yuma for 4 years myself, but I am already more than aware of just how much of a nuisance he turns into when he's hungry" he mumbled to himself, before returning to Yuma, hovering over him and observing his breathing, arms crossed over his own chest, in thoughtful concentration…

Astral groaned under his breath, trying not to make too much noise. It was starting to hurt now, and the energy was still steadily building. But Yumas breathing had become a panting and heat was radiating off of him, so there was no way Astral was gonna put him at more risk, even though it meant that he himself would suffer.

If it was for Yuma, he would endure it, until it forced him to leave his other half, for safety reasons.

Dipping the rag again, Astral placed it back on Yumas heated forehead once more, noticing that he had himself become more solid than earlier as well.

"Yuma" he said in a low whisper "please, get better soon. I need you. Or I'm afraid I might be forced to leave you before long".

He hadn't intended to wake the other up, but at his words, Yuma stirred, moaning quietly, as he slowly started opening his eyes. "As…tral?" he said hoarsely. "Yuma!" Astral exclaimed, a little too eagerly perhaps, but he couldn't stop himself.

"What are you doing? What… time, is it?" the young man asked, and Astral had to force himself to answer in a normal tone. "I believe it is around midday by now" he replied.

"What? Midday?!" Yuma reacted, before moaning and moving a hand to the wet rag on his head.

"Oh man… I guess I was out cold… Sorry Astral… Are you alright?" he continued.

Astral swallowed, but then asked "I have been better… How much do you remember from last night?".

Yuma moved the rag down over his eyes as he replied "all of it. Why wouldn't I? This is something really important for you after all. Of course I listened intently to it, just like you asked me to".

"All… of it?" Astral responded.

Yuma moved the rag just a bit, so he could open an eye half-way, and glance at his alien.

"Yeah" he said "even the part about mood-swings and so on. I heard that too". Astral breathed a sigh of relieve.

"Good" he said, mostly to himself. Then he noticed that Yuma had pushed himself up on his elbows and were looking fully at him.

"You don't look too good" the young man said quietly "you need me, don't you?".

Astral felt himself blush slightly at Yumas words, but he could not look at him and so instead, lowered his head.

"It can wait" he replied, but Yuma knew him too well.

"Astral, please… Don't shut me out. Don't suffer quietly. Not when I'm right here, to help you" he said, voice sorrowful and gentle. Astral shivered noticeably at his obvious expression of love and the fact that he was, once more, offering his presence to him willingly.

But he couldn't act on the intense need he was currently experiencing. It was too dangerous! What if it made Yuma worse? Then Astral would weaken too, despite going through this time. And Yuma would blame himself. Astral couldn't, wouldn't, allow it.

But before he could answer, Yuma had moved and slung his arms around the aliens' chest, eliciting a startled "oh!" from the other, as he pulled him down on top of himself in the hammock so the blue being was nestled between his legs, the key around Yumas neck touching both him and Astral.

Astral blushed deeply at this, but his skin instantly started tingling, as sparks of energy moved across it until blue light seemed to be dancing all over his body. "Yuma, no!" Astral croaked, struggling to keep his excess energy within himself. "It's… too dangerous for you… right now! Please, let me go!".

But Yuma would have none of it and only hugged him tighter. Astral moaned loudly, pleading with his partner to release him once more, but little did it help. Yuma had him in a tight grip and Astrals own body was fighting his attempts to tear himself away from his other half.

"Yuma, PLEASE! I can't… I can't control it! I… I'm sorry… I can't… stop it… YUMA!" he exclaimed, and as he did, he felt it happening. The energy spiked around him, travelling over his skin to Yumas, covering every inch of the human as the young man only slowly absorbed it into his own system.

After a while, Astral started feeling weakened and he was finally able to stop the transfer of energy, as he started fading in and out of his solid form. With a gasp, he tore himself away from Yuma forcefully, until he was sitting on his lap, unable to part from him entirely just yet, though he feared what the recent events may have resulted in.

As his eyes locked on his human half, he saw that Yuma was twitching, almost as though he was having some form of mild seizure.

He was heaving for breath and most of his skin seemed an angry red in the relatively dim light of the attic.

"Oh no! YUMA" Astral cried out, but he noticed that his voice was weakened and that he was still fading.

"Please my love, please. Speak to me! Yuma!" he called again and this time, he got a faint response from the other.

"Give me… a minute, Astral!" Yuma breathed heavily. A moment later, he started coughing and reached out after the glass of water beside his hammock.

Astral willed himself to solidify enough, to aid Yuma in taking it to his lips and drinking some of it, before setting it back in its place once more.

Once he had, Astral locked his eyes on him until Yuma finally spoke.

"Whew… glad that's over, at least for now" he said, lifting his eyes to meet Astrals frightened ones.

"How are you?" he then added, worry in his voice.

"How… how am I?! Really Yuma!? I'm more concerned about YOU!" Astral replied, voice raised with a mix of anxiety and frustration.

Yuma blinked, but then he send the other a tender smile. "Sorry I scared you" he said gently "I'm… better, actually. Well, I'm still not good, but I'm not worse either. I am actually feeling more energized now".

Astral let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and then collapsed over Yuma.

"Thank goodness" he whispered quietly, but Yuma heard him and sensing his lovers violent mix of emotions, he placed and arm around him once more, pulling him closer and kissing Astrals forehead.

"Sorry" he repeated, but Astral just shook his head against him.

"You shouldn't have forced me to do this Yuma. Not as you are now. But I am glad you were not permanently harmed" he said quietly.

"So… are you gonna answer my question?" Yuma inquired a few minutes later.

Astral knew what he meant, but still sighed before replying. "I am not certain. At the moment, I feel quite weak, as you might be able to see. But I think it is because your startled me when you… grabbed me" he blushed again at these words, even as he continued "and therefor the transfer of energy wasn't properly controlled. I may have transferred too much".

"Oh no! That's bad! I'm so sorry Astral, I didn't mean to… But I can't bear to watch you suffer, when I have the means to stop it" Yuma said "please understand".

"I love you too Yuma" Astral responded, maneuvering himself so that he could claim Yumas lips in a gentle kiss.

When they parted again, Yuma suddenly groaned loudly and grabbed the duvet tightly with one hand, eyes widening.

Astral send him a surprised look. "Yuma, are you in pain? Did I do something to you?!" he asked.

Yuma closed his eyes tightly shut, shaking his head in a no, and shivering slightly as he said in a strained voice "Oh man! I need to pee so bad! I've got to go Astral, I'm sorry! Please, don't move anywhere, okay? I'll be right back! I just… Argh, I can't hold it!".

With that, he jumped out of the hammock, remarkably fast considering how ill he seemed, squeezing his crotch tightly as he bolted to the hatch and down it. Even from the attic, Astral heard him moan loudly as his footsteps seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, before a door was slammed and they disappeared out of hearing range.

Once he could no longer hear him, Astral groaned quietly and flipped onto his back in the hammock, head on Yumas pillow, which carried the scent of the other, and closed his eyes.

He was still feeling weak and he could sense his lifeforce was quite drained, as he lay alone, waiting for his partner to return.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be long, because even though it was only day 2 of his time, the separation from Yuma still stung painfully…


	5. Chapter 5

One – Chapter 5

When Yuma returned, he looked mightily relieved, but on the same time quite down-trodden and Astral, who had moved as soon as he sensed him drawing closer again, raised an invisible eyebrow at him as he came back up to the attic.

"Yuma?" he said questioningly. Yuma seemed to only now realize he wasn't alone and shyly, blushing with what Astral sensed to be pure shame, he grabbed a piece of discarded cloth from the floor, covering his crotch with it.

Astral pitied him, and he had the decency to lower his eyes. "Will you be returning to bed soon?" he then asked innocently. Yuma sighed.

"You know, don't you? I'm 17… I shouldn't have accidents like this, not even tiny ones, and this one wasn't exactly that" he replied, voice clearly affected by his state of mind. But just as Astral was about to answer, Yuma spoke again.

"I'll get changed real quick and clean myself up a bit… But then I'd like to come join you again, if you'll have me" he said. Astral blinked a few times and couldn't help but glance at Yuma as he replied.

"Why wouldn't I? I would be very pleased indeed, if we could, what is it you call it… snuggle, for some time. But I do not wish to intrude on you. And you are ill, after all. If you would rather sleep alone, then I will… try, and find a bit of rest elsewhere…".

"Astral" Yuma mumbled, but then he smiled warmly. "Thanks partner, but as I feel right now, I think snuggling could be just what I need. I'll join you shortly" he said in a grateful tone of voice, before he started to undress, seemingly not caring that Astrals eyes were currently glued to him.

Astral, for his part, found that he could not tear his focus away from his beloved, as the young man let the cloth he'd grabbed from the floor, drop once more, revealing a large, wet spot on the front and partly down one leg, of his pants.

He hadn't removed any cloth before falling asleep the night before, so he was still in his school-uniform. Not for long though. Soon, he'd stripped down to only a t-shirt and nothing else and pulled out a plastic bag he'd been hiding from sight, finding from it a wash-cloth, which he soon started wiping down his thighs and crotch with, cleaning himself in swift motions, Astral wouldn't think possible from him, considering his still high fever.

When he was done, he dried off with a guest-towel he'd also brought up to the attic, and then put it, the wash-cloth and his wet cloth back into the bag, before setting it aside near the hatch-door. Then he put on a new pair of boxers and tossed his t-shirt to the floor, before returning to the hammock, noticing how Astrals eyes hadn't left him for even a second, as he tried masking his accident.

When he was back at the aliens' side again, he swung a leg in between Astrals, moving until his groin was right above that of his beloved, before kissing him passionately, leaving Astral completely speechless as Yumas eyes ran down his body, taking in the sight of his alien partner.

"I see you've solidified fully again" he commented in a low voice after a little, smiling and kissing Astral once more, a finger under the others chin.

"Liked what you saw?" he then asked, tracing a path down Astrals body, from his neck, over his shoulder and abdomen, before reaching his groin, careful not to touch any of the gems on the blue skin, on the way.

After a second, Yumas smile then became a smirk as he leaned down and whispered in Astrals ear "I guess I got my answer", slowly moving his fingers up and down the slit he'd found between the aliens' thighs.

It was already moist, and Yuma knew the exact meaning of that. It pleased him to no end to have achieved it, just by stripping down before the others' eyes, in a necessary task.

"Is this too, related to your time then, my love?" he asked seductively, kissing Astrals earlobe lightly. The blue being shivered and nodded weakly.

"I suppose… it would be a great way… of sharing my energy… with you… after all… Create… offspring!" he replied, saying the last word in a higher pitch than earlier, because Yuma had now proceeded to rubbing the slit passionately, though not to the point where it became painful.

Yuma laughed quietly, kissing the other again before he ran a hand up his aliens' body, letting it come to rest ever so gently over a blue gem on Astrals right shoulder, eliciting a sound close to a squeal from his lover.

"Yuma!" he cried and Yuma responded by leaning down his head and kissing the gem with warm, moist lips.

Again, Astral squealed, but just then, a knock was heard on the, now closed, hatch to the attic and both Yuma and Astral were so startled by the sound, that Astral froze solid in the hammock and Yuma nearly fell out of it, face first, only narrowly avoiding doing so, which instead resulted in him hanging awkwardly across Astrals chest, rear to the hatch and head turned to the wall.

Moments later, the hatch was opened, and a head poked up through it, glancing around the room searchingly. When they came to rest, it was directly on Astrals, and the alien felt himself blush, holding his breath out of embarrassment and worry.

Yuma groaned as he moved about until he fell out of the hammock completely, and got himself turned around so that he could see the head in the opening to the attic. "Grandma!" he exclaimed, blushing crimson and quickly stumbling to his feet to find a t-shirt and throw on.

But Haru just chuckled quietly to herself, before she spoke. "You seem better Yuma" she said "can I come up?".

Yuma glanced at Astral, but when the alien didn't seem to react much, he just nodded, after which the old lady moved up into the attic on remarkably nimble feet, considering her age. In one hand she held a plate of food, in the other a thermometer.

"Off to bed with you now Yuma! Kari told me everything. Oh, and it's nice to finally meet you, Astral" she said, locking her eyes on Astral again as she spoke those words and sending him a smile.

At first, Astral did not react. But as she started moving again, heading for the table with her plate of food, he suddenly blinked and then babbled out "Nice to meet you too, Haru-Sama!". Haru glanced at him again, sending him another smile as she put the new plate of food on the table, removing the old one.

Then she turned her famous 'fierce eyes' to Yuma, who was crawling back into the hammock, gesturing for Astral to move over a bit which resulted in the Alien taking off and crossing his arms over his chest as he moved to hover over the TV, still with rosy cheeks.

"Yuma, I am very disappointed to see you haven't eaten any of the food I prepared for you. I expected you to eat something when you got home. Don't you like your grandmothers cooking anymore!?" she said, in a deeply saddened tone.

"Ah!" Yuma gasped, startled at the sound of her voice, but then replied with "of course I do Grandma! Your cooking is awesome! I just wasn't hungry is all, really!".

Harus' eyes seemed to narrow impossibly at that, as she said "wasn't hungry? You?!". Then she seemed to rush over the floor, before all but brutally forcing the thermometer into her grandsons' mouth. Yumas eyes widened as she did, but he didn't have a chance to protest, so he just gave in.

Meanwhile, Harus' keen eyes had spotted the bag near the hatch and she moved over to it, opening it and glancing inside. Yuma made a sound as if to stop her, but one glare from her send him back onto his back in the hammock, where he stayed very still, until the thermometer finally beeped. Then Haru was back at his side, taking it out of his mouth and reading the numbers on it.

"Hmm, 39. It's pretty high, but then again, judging from what I saw when I came up here, there might be an entirely different reason for this altogether after all… Still, Yuma, I want you to eat something. You haven't eaten for a whole day by the sound of it and I can't have my grandson starve himself to death.

What wouldn't your parents say if they knew!" she said, then placed the thermometer on the table, before grabbing the plate of food from it and handing it to him. "I assume you're capable of sitting up and eating it yourself? Otherwise, perhaps Astral would help you?". Before Astral could reply though, she was moving on to the subject of the bag of wet clothes.

"Kari told me you had been in bed since yesterday afternoon and seing as none of us heard you get up in the night, I assumed you might need a bit of washing done. I'll just bring this downstairs. I needed to get some laundry done anyways" she said, still moving about the attic.

"Grandma, you don't have to" Yuma protested, cheeks flushed red again, though this time it was from shame. Astral clearly felt it radiating off of his partner and he couldn't help but pity him. Still, he didn't say anything, just remained quiet near the wall.

"I can clean it myself…" Yuma added quietly, but then he started coughing again and Astral was immediately at his side, grabbing the plate of food and moving it out of the way, placing it on the table again, as his lovers' body cramped up in rhythm with the coughs.

"Yuma…" he said worriedly, feeling an immediate sensation of energy loss as his mate rode out the fit. Haru also turned, silenced and observed Yuma until he could breathe properly again. Then she sighed.

"I know you can Yuma" she said "but I might as well wash it with the rest of the laundry, don't you think? Less waste that way". In the end, Yuma just nodded weakly and Haru smiled faintly.

"You make sure he eats that food now Astral. I leave him in your care for now, but if you need anything, I'll be right downstairs" she said, then placed the plate of un-eaten food from last night, as well as the bag of wet clothes, next to the hatch, before opening it and taking it with her one at a time, out of sight, leaving the hatch open as she did.

Once she was gone, Astral let out a with-held breath he didn't know he'd been holding and all but collapsed to the floor beside Yumas hammock, legs out to either side of him and hands on the floor in front of his groin, head lowered, and eyes closed.

"You said it Astral" Yuma groaned in the hammock above him, rolling onto his side, back turned to the alien. Astral felt himself shiver violently, but he did not speak. He wasn't feeling well. In fact, he found himself wishing to return to the key, hide away from the world, despite his current… obstacles.

But Haru expected him to make Yuma eat and he too, knew that it was indeed important to achieve that. So slowly he rose, tottering slightly, though he soon took off, hovering to fetch Yumas plate of food, before returning to the other again.

"Yuma" he said hesitantly "here. You must eat something, or you will never get better". He placed a gentle hand on Yumas up-turned shoulder then, sitting on the edge of the hammock, though he did not place any weight on it, so that it wouldn't accidentally tip over, tossing Yuma to the floor once more.

"I'm not hungry" Yuma mumbled. Astral shivered again. "Please, Yuma" he whispered and this time, the tone in his voice made Yuma roll over again, until he could look at him.

What he saw made a wave of anxiousness wash over him, as he felt the shivering in his lover and saw the obvious paleness of the others skin, which seemed to only have faded further, since he last looked at him. "Astral" he said fearfully "what's wrong?".

Astral didn't meet his eyes. "Please" he simply breathed and Yuma, scared now, took the plate and started eating very slowly.

"Astral… I need you to speak to me… I need to hear that you are alright" he said quietly. "I… I don't feel so good… Yuma" the alien replied, and only now did Yuma realize that the other was fading.

"ASTRAL!" he exclaimed "what's wrong?! What is causing this?!". "I think… I should retreat to the key… for a little. But promise me… you will eat your food" Astral replied and Yuma swallowed hard, then nodded.

"I promise. Now, go… Get well again. I'll be right here when you need me" Yuma responded and moments later, Astral vanished in a shimmer of light.

Left alone in the attic, Yuma felt silent tears slide down his cheeks. He couldn't be certain of what was causing Astral to act like this, but he assumed it had to be related to his time. It HAD to be. Because if it wasn't… then how was he supposed to help him with whatever else it might be?

Without a sound, he returned to his food, though he was lost in thought, his chest ached, and he felt more alone than he had for years…

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WRITERS COMMENT:

Thanks a lot, to those readers that follow this story every time I post a new chapter. I hope you are enjoying reading it, as much as I enjoy writing it :)  
Writing is my escape from the world, and I'm not used to getting feedback on my texts, so thanks for the reviews I have gotten so far (^_^)

I can reveal that there is a LOT more to come in the future (I have more than 100 pages of this story in my word program, and I'm not done yet ;) )

To thor: I am very grateful for your comments and I'm pleased that you are still following the story - I hope you will keep doing so! :)

But sadly, I am not planning anything with tentacles and I already decided that Astral will become pregnant (in the world of seahorses, it is the male that carries the eggs, which is why your suggestions make a lot of sense :) But I thought of it more like Astral, being an alien, possibly having the ability to change his body according to which type of partner he is with (in this case, another male, who, because he is human, can't get pregnant) (maybe that is more like snails, than seahorses, I don't know xD)

I am, however, considering re-writing one of the scenes in my story JUST for you (as a thank you for your loyalty ;) ) though the jury is still out on that (I have never written anything like that before, so it would be a challenge for me, but one I might be willing to attempt at a later point :)


	6. Chapter 6

One – Chapter 6

 _ **Writers corner:**_ _Hey everyone! The next chapter is up and it's a good one (in my own humble opinion_ _)_

 _However, it's also a somewhat long one ^^''_

 _None the less, I hope you all enjoy it!_

 _And to all my loyal readers, I hope you will like it!_

 _As always, reviews are welcome!_

 _Anyways, on with the story!_

He was running towards him, seeing him in the distance, arms held out in front of himself and shimmering as though he was surrounded by strange lights. He was calling his name, voice faint and far away.

He called for him in return, crying out the others name in a pained, anxious voice. He was almost with him now, just a few more seconds and he could touch him. He lifted his arm, reaching for the others hand.

But just then, a loud roar sounded, like that of violent thunder, and the floor vanished beneath his feet. With a scream, he fell…

He shot up in the hammock with a cry, heart racing and breath panting, skin sticky with sweat. With wide eyes, he cast glances across the entirety of the room, but not finding what his eyes were searching for, he closed them and lowered his head, gripping the key around his neck tightly in one hand, whilst grasping his blanket with the other.

He was scared. The dream he'd just had was so reminiscent of the one he'd had back when he and Astral were searching for the numbers and that one had come true. Was this a warning that he was gonna lose Astral again?

The thought alone made him sick to his stomach and he knew he needed to see his beloved as soon as possible. Astral still hadn't seemed to notice his distress though, which only served to worry Yuma more.

Focusing on how much he needed to see the blue alien, Yuma centered his thoughts only on that.

"Astral, please. I must see you. I need to! Please… let me come to you. Let me enter the key" he whispered beneath his breath, but at first nothing happened.

Then suddenly, light shone around him and when next he opened his eyes, he saw that he was inside the keys dimension and a gasp of relief escaped him. Now he just had to find Astral.

He headed for the place where he knew the numbers were located first, assuming that was most likely where he'd find him.

"Astral!" he cried out, when he saw the familiar shimmer of his partner. He had been right. Astral was standing in front of the numbers, hand raised towards them and eyes closed. He didn't seem to hear him, but at least he was solid again.

Like, fully solidified.

Yuma raised an eyebrow at that, but then walked over to the other and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Astral…" he said questioningly. The alien seemed to get startled at that and flinched, flipping around to face him in an instant.

"Yuma, what are you DOING here?!" he exclaimed, but then he gasped, falling to his knees and placing his arms around his own chest, coiling in on himself as though in pain.

"Astral!" Yuma cried out, frightened, and knelt in front of him, careful not to touch him and risk shocking him further. "What's wrong?!" he asked fearfully. Astral moaned. "Yuma… what are you… doing here? Please, you have to go!" he said, shaking visibly.

"No Astral, not this time. I'm not going anywhere! I needed to see you, so I came here. Now tell me what's wrong! You're in pain!" Yuma replied, moving his hand as though to touch Astral, though in the end, he retracted it again without doing anything. He felt tears sting in his eyes, but he attempted to force them away before they could fall.

"Yuma… my love…" Astral moaned "you… do not understand. I will injure you, make you worse again… You need to get better, before… before we can be together again!".

"No! No way Astral!" Yuma responded. "This is because you need me again, isn't it? You need me badly!".

Astral turned his head away from him at that, though he didn't move in any other way and Yuma knew he was right. "Don't lie to me Astral. You know I can tell if you're keeping something from me.

So just… don't. Don't even try" the young man said solemnly and Astral groaned quietly. Then he nodded, faintly.

"I do Yuma… I will not hide it from you… I know I can't. I need you, so much… But last time… you got hurt… Badly… And you are so ill… I just… I cannot risk it. You must get better, or… none of this will matter anyways" the alien replied, voice low and slightly shaky.

"Astral…" Yuma said in a quiet voice. Then everything fell silent for a time, until Astral gasped and then moaned again, falling forward so his hands were resting on the ground before him, head bent.

A strong shaking claimed his body and he cried out with pain, as the light that seemed to come from within him, appeared to grow stronger before Yumas very eyes.

"Argh… Arh!... ARGH!" the blue being moaned and this time, Yuma couldn't stop himself. By instinct, he had soon thrown his arms around Astrals neck and pulled himself close enough for their chests to be fully touching one another, even though he'd had to move somewhat awkwardly to do so, due to Astrals current position.

Astral gasped as he suddenly found his body pressed against Yumas, scarcely clad as his life-partner was in only a washed-out t-shirt and boxers.

But he too moved instinctively before he could stop himself, and soon his arms were locked around Yumas chest, hands joined together on the others back and chin against Yumas shoulder, cheek to cheek with the other. "Please Yuma" he whispered "I do not wish to hurt you… Please, listen to me and go".

But Yuma shook his head.

"I won't Astral. I won't EVER go! I won't lose you again!" he replied, voice marked by the tears which were now streaking down his cheeks. Astral groaned quietly, hopelessly, then said "very well. But we must leave the key then. Staying in here… will only make the transfer worse!".

Yuma didn't speak, but nodded against the others chest and soon, Astral and Yuma found themselves on the floor of the attic, sitting exactly like they had been inside the key.

Astral was so charged with energy, that the light-bulb in the ceiling lamp exploded with a small bang and the sound of shattering glass.

"I'm losing control over it!" Astral exclaimed fearfully "the transfer has to be done now Yuma!". And as soon as he felt the other nod against him, he closed his eyes and tightened his hold around his beloved, as he attempted to keep the energy-transfer steady and slow, so that Yumas body might have time to absorb it properly.

It was a hard battle, despite it only being day three, but Astral knew this was because he had waited too long. He should have transferred the energy hours ago, and he most certainly shouldn't have been inside the key in the first place, in his current state.

Just as he and Yuma had assumed, it had only worsened his time, making it escalate faster.

"Please Yuma, my love. If it becomes too much, you MUST let me know immediately! I will attempt to halt it as soon as possible then" the alien communicated to the human that was his other half, utilizing their telepathic connection, unable to speak the words out loud right now.

Yuma, for his part, felt the energy transfer as though his skin was being pricked with needles everywhere. It was painful, but for Astral, he would endure it. Still, after a whole minute of constant transference, he could no longer remain quiet and as he started panting, he also began groaning quietly.

It was far less painful than last time, but he soon sensed that he was reaching the limit of how much he could take in at the moment and he knew, that if he allowed himself to get hurt because of this again, Astral would never forgive either of them and he would separate them so effectively, that Yuma would be unable to save him.

So, with a moan, he said in a low voice "Astral… you'll have to stop… soon… I… I can't contain anymore… energy, right now". Astral reacted to his words instantly, slowing down the transfer until, a few moments later, he stopped it entirely, with a low gasp, letting go of Yuma and pulling away from him.

Yuma cried out as he did, falling forwards on his hands and knees, unable to remain upright as Astrals support was abruptly pulled away. He was panting heavily, his whole body feeling as though it was made up of liquid fire, and for a couple of minutes he didn't say a word.

Astral too, was struggling. This time, he hadn't transferred too much energy and he'd had a lot more control of the transfer than last time, but he still felt energized and found himself wishing Yuma had been able to absorb more.

He wasn't though and Astral wouldn't force him into submission on this matter. If he remained outside the key, maybe he'd be able to handle it for a couple of hours, until he could transfer some again.

"Yuma" he started, when the quietness became too prolonged for him, placing a hand on Yumas shoulder and kneeling beside him. "Will you be… alright?". Yuma swallowed, then nodded.

"Yeah… I'll be okay Astral… Thanks for listening to me" he replied. "I asked you to tell me if it became too much and you did. I am grateful you did not suffer further but stopped me when you'd had enough" the alien answered gently.

Yuma straightened further now, then turned his head and claimed an unexpected kiss from the blue aliens' lips.

Astral, startled, responded to the kiss eagerly, before rising and picking Yuma up, bridal style, kissing him again as Yuma wrapped his arms around the others neck and was carried back to the hammock.

Once they reached it, Astral placed him in it, then floated on top of him, leaning his body against the one beneath him and kissing his earlobe, then his neck, tenderly.

Yuma writhed at his loving caresses, his newly energized body reacting to the attention from his partner. Astral himself, was also still feeling the energy pulsing just beneath his surface and he wanted to thank Yuma for being there for him, for enduring the pain he did, just to aid Astral.

And the blue being had learned about a very good way to do just this, in his past years with the young man.

So, he started moving a hand seductively slow, first over Yumas cheek, then down his neck, over his chest and ending with a tender brush against the fabric covering Yumas groin.

Even with that gentlest of touches, the alien could feel that Yumas body was stirring and it made him smile. This would help Yuma release some of the energy he'd just had transferred to him in a pleasant, and hopefully none painful, way.

But then Astral thought of Haru, the grandma, downstairs. She'd probably be popping up soon to check on Yuma and he wouldn't be able to bear the embarrassment of getting caught in this most personal of acts, again so soon. So how could he make sure she wouldn't come up there untimely?

He didn't know, and he let Yuma know of his worries about getting caught, through their telepathic link. Yuma blushed at his very reasonable concerns, but he was more quick thinking than Astral when it came to handling his grandma, so he quickly responded with his ideas on what they could do.

"Well, if we put a sign on the hatch, and close it, I'm sure she'll let us be for a little. Both she and sis know that we are an item after all, so surely she'd understand our need for a little privacy" he said. Astral nodded. "If you are certain this will work Yuma, I would like us to do it before things… get out of hand.

Why don't you just stay here and get comfortable, and then I'll make it happen" the alien replied, and Yuma send him a small smile.

"Alright Astral, if you say so" he replied, blushing again. Astral was requesting privacy for them, and the way he'd touched him before. The thought alone of what it might end with, had Yuma feeling hot and very aroused.

It wasn't too obvious to the naked eye yet though, which Yuma figured was a good thing, or Astral might just get distracted from the task at hand.

And Yuma too, would prefer for his grandmother NOT to walk in on them again, if it could be avoided. So as Astral worked with the sign as well as closing the hatch, Yuma followed his advice and adjusted the things in his hammock until he could lie relatively comfortable.

And soon after, Astral was back with his partner and lowering himself down to kiss him, a hand on Yumas chest.

Once he pulled back a little again, Yuma send him a faint smile. "Are you sure about this Astral?" he asked gently and Astral smiled in return.

"Yes. I am certain" he replied, locking his and Yumas eyes for a long while, as he let his hand brush through the hair of his beloved. Then he kissed him again and once more, started caressing Yumas body.

As the other was still clad in a t-shirt and boxers, Astral didn't touch skin at first, but once he noticed that Yuma had closed his eyes and that his breathing had changed slightly, he decided it was time.

So, letting a hand travel down Yumas chest, he soon reached the hem of the shirt and snuck his hand under it, his fingers trailing lightly over the heat there. Yumas skin was hot to the touch. Hotter than usually and Astral knew that this was because of the others fever.

As Yuma felt cool fingers touch his skin, he gasped involuntarily and arched his back slightly, resulting in Astrals fingers being pressed harder against him.

The young man loved when he was the center of attention for Astral, as much as he loved making the alien HIS center of attention.

It had been a while since that was last the case though, so he was happy that it seemed to be possible now. He would enjoy it as much as possible and allow Astral to take full charge of the situation.

Astral, on his end, clearly felt Yumas reaction to his caresses and it made his determination to please him, even greater. The last time he'd done so, was more than three weeks ago, which he knew was an awful long time for the human male to wait, so he wanted this one to be perfect.

So far, it seemed he was succeeding quite well. Still leaned over him, Astral kissed Yumas sensitive earlobe once more, biting into it gently, but still enough to leave a mark. Yuma gasped as he did and Astral smirked, before moving his head so he could claim Yumas lips again.

"Let's get you out of this, shall we?" he asked in a seductive whisper, using a tone he'd learned from Yuma. Yuma nodded faintly and raised his arms above his head so that Astral had room to pull off his t-shirt and discard it on the floor.

Then he wrapped his arms around Astrals neck and leaned up to him for another kiss, as Astral let his hand caress one of Yumas now exposed nipples. It reacted at his touch, stiffening, which elicited another low moan from his partner.

Astral then moved his hand further down over Yumas chest and stomach, moving it around his waist to pull him closer to himself, as his other hand continuously brushed through Yumas multicolored hair, resting occasionally against the back of his head for support, as he pulled him up from the pillow, kissing him deeply.

Yumas hand journeyed into Astrals hair as well, and he felt the tingle of energy still on every inch of his lovers' body. It tickled his skin, making every tiny hair on it stand on end, but it was still a pleasant enough sensation for it not to bother him.

Enjoying his partners willingness to submit for the time, Astral let the hand he'd moved to Yumas back, slide down until it came to rest over the others rear. Giving it a squeeze for good measure, the alien then observed the others reaction to it, and was happy to not be disappointed.

Yuma twisted in his arms, trying to give him more room to move in, and Astral smiled. Letting Yuma slide down in the hammock again, Astral now moved so that his groin was over one of Yumas thighs, one leg in between Yumas, which had been spread slightly to accommodate him.

Once in this position, Astral could both claim Yumas lips and let a hand move over the others abdomen, to the band of his boxers.

Moving his hand down even lower, he let it ghost over the not yet obvious glory trapped beneath smooth fabric. He felt the hardness of it, and even through the boxers, he also felt the heat coming from the area.

The organ bounced up against his fingers at his touch and Astral found himself desiring to see it properly.

Thus, he slowly moved his fingers up to the elastic band once more, beginning to tug at it even as he locked lips with the young human, to keep him from objecting, should he wish to.

If he wanted him to stop though, Astral would know immediately do to their bond and would of course stop before it became unpleasant for the other.

Yuma didn't protest though, only opened his mouth to let his tongue dance with that of his partner, as he let Astral pull down his boxers, then to discard them on the floor, with the help of Yuma moving his legs and Astral being inhumanly agile.

Once they were out of the way, Astral pulled slightly away from the other, as his eyes locked on the fully erect glory bouncing against Yumas lower abdomen, making him halt all his motions just to look at it, heat shooting through his own body, manifesting itself as moist between his legs.

When he finally came out of his immediate stupor, he once more moved to the position he'd been in before and rubbed his slit against Yumas thigh, as he moved a hand up under the others chin, lifting his head so that he could make their mouths as one again, taking Yumas breath away as he did.

As for Yuma, feeling the moist slit against his thigh, nearly drove him mad with desire and passion. Desperate to have Astral touch more of him, he twisted and turned, trying to get into a better position, though without luck. Astral was in full control of what went down and if Yuma moved, Astral simply followed suit, locking him in place again.

Now his hand was caressing Yumas neck, now his chest and now his leg. Sensing the increased eagerness in his partner, Astral found himself smirking as he ran a hand seductively slow up Yumas inner thigh, until he, seemingly by accident, brushed his hand against the soft sack just beneath his partners pride.

Of course, it wasn't at all by accident, and soon he was brushing against the glory itself, running cool fingers up and down its full length, caressing its tip lightly, feeling the small drops of sticky pre-cum that had already leaked from it.

"Ah, Astral!" Yuma gasped, arching off the bed once more, though he couldn't move much do to Astrals position. At his gasp, Astral wrapped his fingers fully around the swollen organ, making his partner thrust helplessly into his grasp, and leaned his head down to kiss Yuma again.

The young man was sticky with sweat and his skin burned feverishly under Astrals touches. The alien actually got worried for him, but leaving him in this state without having him achieve release, he knew would be torturous to his beloved and he couldn't do it.

So relentlessly, he started pumping the erection, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed as Yumas sounds of pleasure became low groans, and then loud moans, combined with occasional gasps.

Astral himself was also very affected by what he was doing and hearing, and he felt himself get more and more wet between his legs, though he ignored his own mounting pleasure in favor of making Yuma shake with arousal in his grasp.

Suddenly, Yuma arched off the bed and then stiffened, breathing out his partners name, and Astral felt the hot liquid gushing out over his fingers and hand. Then Yuma relaxed in the hammock, which was swinging slightly from side to side after their interaction, closing his eyes and breathing heavily.

He was shivering faintly, but his skin still radiated heat, and Astrals previous worry quickly returned. He would give Yuma 10 minutes to calm down in, and then he'd open the hatch again, so that Haru could get to them.

He'd also request of Yuma that he'd use the thermometer again, so they could see if the others temperature had risen again.

First though, he'd have to handle his own desire, so Yuma didn't feel obligated to pleasure him once he recovered. Thus, without a sound, Astral left Yuma in the hammock, hovering to where he'd previously discarded the shirt and picking it up, moving to the far corner of the attic, back turned to the hammock.

Then he wiped his hand off in the t-shirt, placing it beneath him, before rubbing the wet slit between his legs with two fingers, putting pressure on it as he moved from end to end of it.

It took only about a minute for him before he felt the liquid from within him gush out in a long spray, instantly being absorbed by the fabric beneath him, leaving on it a semi-large, dark spot.

He didn't know what the liquid was, only that he had never released anything like it before he was with Yuma the first time, and that it was as clear as water and completely scentless.

It was also what made him wet, so that he could be joined with his lover in a way that was far more human, than Astralian.

Once he'd achieved his own climax, he was panting lightly and leaned a little against the wall to catch his breath. Some energy had left him as he peaked, but it still wasn't nearly enough. If Yuma fell asleep, he'd attempt to find a way to release more of his energy safely, so that his partner could rest properly.

Of course, he knew it was an all but hopeless task, having only released some of it in his recent climax because he'd been thinking about Yuma, but he had to try. And he couldn't let his other half sense even an inkling of his thoughts on this matter.

Once he was cooled down again he rose, picked up the shirt he'd recently used, re-opened the hatch and removed the note from its underside, so that Haru could get to them again, before putting the shirt down beside it so that it might be collected for washing later.

"… As…tral?" a faint call suddenly sounded from the other side of the room and Astral was startled out of his thoughts as he rose and moved towards the hammock, before he hovered up above Yuma, sitting cross-legged in the air above his chest, eyes locked on the other.

"Yuma, how are you feeling?" he asked gently, as Yuma send him a smile.

"Astral" he said happily "I'm fine, better than fine actually. I'm really good". Astral nodded once, but then continued "you still have a fever though, I can sense the heat from your skin. I have unlocked the hatch so that your grandmother can come up here and tend to you. I think she is a better nurse than I".

"I don't want her Astral. I just want you, here, beside me" Yuma replied and Astral sighed, hovering down until he could lie beside the young man in the hammock.

"Like this?" he asked softly, and Yuma flipped onto his side, placing a hand over Astrals chest and nuzzling against him with a low sigh.

"Yes, just like this" he replied, kissing Astrals shoulder and letting a finger softly brush over the gem, nearest his head.

Astral gasped as he did, quickly grabbing it and moving it to his abdomen instead, before kissing Yumas forehead.

"No more of that right now my love" he whispered, "you should rest a bit".

Yuma frowned. "You're still pumped with energy Astral. I can feel it. When will you need to transfer again?" he asked. "I can wait for a couple of hours Yuma, do not worry" Astral replied, which wasn't entirely untrue, though he still diverted his eyes.

But Yuma sighed. "So, you can wait, can you?" he asked, disbelief obvious on his voice as he lifted himself up until he could rest on an elbow, hand still on Astrals abdomen, and look down at his beloved. "How long?" he then added and Astral groaned inwardly. Yuma could read him too well.

"3 hours, at the most. I… could not transfer as much as was in truth necessary this time, so… We will have to do it again sooner than I'd hoped, if it is to not get out of hand" the alien replied, and Yuma nodded. "Alright. So, three hours then… Is there anything I can do in the meantime, to perhaps make my body capable of absorbing more energy?" he asked.

Astral felt guilt coming across their bond from Yuma, which told him that though the other came across as unfazed by Astrals words of not being able to transfer as much energy as was necessary, he had indeed heard them and understood their meaning, and so Astral pondered the others question for a little.

Then he caught his eyes and said "well, there might be a way for us to train you, so that you'll be able to absorb more and more for every transfer. But it would require that I send a small amount of energy into you for about a minute, every 5 to 10 minutes, slowly increasing it from time to time, and it might be painful".

"Let's try it" Yuma replied, "then we'll see how it goes?".

Astral swallowed. He really didn't want to hurt the other, but what else could they do? Not much, he knew. So instead of protesting further, Astral just said "alright. If you say so, my love" kissing Yumas shoulder tenderly as he finished.

"Would you be okay with it if… we started now?" Astral then asked after a bit, gaze lowered slightly. But Yuma placed a hand under his chin and forced him to lift his head once more and look at him.

As he did, he send the alien a small smile. "You don't have to feel so embarrassed at asking me this Astral. I want to help you and such tiny amounts as you'll be transferring to me every 5 to 10 minutes, won't hurt me. Trust me and let us just give this a try, alright?" he said, leaning down to kiss his partner deeply.

Astral nodded weakly, then took Yumas hand in his and forced the human to lie down beside him once more, moving the hand he had taken hold of to his chest and pressing its pawn against it, his own hand on top of it.

"Very well then. I shall begin" he said softly, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against Yumas as he focused on only sending the smallest trickle of energy into his other half.

Yuma had been frightened at first, fearing that there would be pain, but much to his surprise, there was none. Instead, he felt a pleasant buzzing on his skin that left goosebumps everywhere.

He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding then, relaxing in the hammock, feeling Astral right beside him, their skin touching ever so softly.

Astral heard his breath, but didn't open his eyes, nor changed anything else, and just kept the transfer steady.

After a minute and a half, he sighed and released Yumas hand from his chest, pulling back a bit before opening his eyes to look at the other.

"How was that?" he asked tenderly, and Yuma also opened his eyes, locking them with Astrals. "Pleasant" he then replied "I can feel that I've gotten a bit of energy, but it isn't painful or unbearable. It actually tickled a bit".

Astral nodded and then leaned over to claim the others lips briefly, before answering. "Good. That means we can keep doing this for a while" he said, "it will help with the next major transfer".

Yuma nodded. "I'm glad. And I hope you're right. I want to do my very best to help you" he replied and Astral smiled softly.

"Thank you, Yuma, you are too kind to me" he said in a low voice, but Yuma just kissed him in response.

"Never" he communicated across their telepathic link and with that, he pulled the blanket in the hammock over both of them, lying nuzzled against one another as they were…


	7. Chapter 7

One – Chapter 6

 _ ******* Hello everyone! *******_

 _ **NEW chapter is up! (Shorter than the last, I promise**_ _ **)**_

 _ **Glad you're checking out my story and I hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **(This chapter is more 'normal' than some of the others have been and more focused on the support of family and love, than the last ones have been. One might say that 'Romance' is the main theme of THIS particular chapter**_ _ **)**_

 _ ********************** Please, let me know what you think of it! **********************_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

"Yuma, it's time for dinner!" a shrill voice sounded from downstairs, startling Yuma so badly he tipped the hammock, resulting in both him and Astral falling flat on their faces on the floor.

"What the hell Kari?!" he groaned, rubbing his nose. Beside him, Astral was also rubbing a part of himself, but in his case, it was his left elbow, which he'd landed on as they crashed. Yuma looked at him.

"You okay Astral?" he asked. Astral sighed. "Yes, I am quite fine Yuma. Though I could have done without the fall" he replied, rising until he hovered near the hatch.

"You should probably get going, before she yells at you again" he then added. "Yeah… want me to leave the key here?" the young man asked, as he went about finding some cloth to put on.

"No, that isn't necessary. I'll come with you" Astral replied and Yuma nodded.

A few minutes later, they appeared in the kitchen, where Kari and Haru had set the table, to both Astral and Yumas surprise, for 4.

It was covered with delicious dishes, though Astral didn't know the name of any of them, except the boiled rice that was in small bowls by each plate.

"You set the table for 4?" Yuma asked inquisitively.

"Well yeah" Kari responded "there's 4 of us right now, aren't there?". Astral and Yuma looked at each other, then at the two others.

"Thank you for the consideration" Astral said, bowing slightly to both women. "Oh nonsense!" Haru broke him off "you're part of the family now! And now that we can actually see you for once, we'd like to welcome you properly".

Astral and Yuma send each other a smile, before taking their seats beside one another at the table, as Haru and Kari placed the last few things on it, before joining them.

"Well then, let's eat" Kari said. "Thanks for the food" they then all said on the same time, before starting their meal.

For Astral, it was an odd thing, sitting at a table with Yumas family like this, knowing that he couldn't really partake in the meal except by being present.

But none of them commented on him not eating anything, but just enjoyed asking him various questions which they couldn't get answers to earlier, because they usually couldn't see him.

Questions like "why did you team up with my dweeb of a brother, of all people?" and "how come we can't see you normally?" as well as "what's your home like?" and "where did you learn to duel?" were send his way and Astral answered all of them as truthfully as he could, suddenly yearning for the approval of Yumas family for a reason he did not know.

Yuma too, was questioned. But the things he was asked about was mainly how he was feeling, if he was better or still had a fever, a well as whether or not he was gonna go to school tomorrow.

Yuma, of course, said that he was much better and that his cold was nearly gone, so of course he'd head to school again as soon as possible, also so he could see his friends there again, but Astral knew it to not be the whole truth.

Yuma was still ill, but it was also true that their energy transfers seemed to have helped him get better, though Astral wasn't certain of why that was…

When the meal neared its end, Astral touched Yumas hand under the table, squeezing it tightly enough for Yuma to turn his head and look at him.

"Time?" he asked across their link and Astral nodded faintly in response. Yumas demeanor changed then and he seemed to steal himself somewhat, as he straightened in the chair unnoticeably, except by Astral who was right beside him and whose every fibre of being was homed in on his partner, in preparation for the coming transfer.

"Grandma, thanks for the food. Can Astral and I be excused now?" the young man asked, eyes locked on his grandma, though it was Kari who answered. "No running out on us now kiddo!

Grandma and I cooked, so you're doing the dishes! Maybe Astral can help you?" she said, looking at the alien.

Astral felt his heartbeat fasten as his breathing became rapid and he tightened his hold on Yumas hand even further to the point it became painful.

Yuma understood though, so squeezing back he let go of Astral and rose, turning to answer Kari.

"I'll gather up the plates and things now, then do it before I go to bed, alright? I just… have some homework Tori told me about, which I have to do first" he said.

Kari snorted. "You, homework?! As if!" she said, but noticing the seriousness in his eyes, she silenced for a moment, before nodding.

"Fine" she said indifferently "just get it done. I don't want to get up tomorrow and see it still here, got it?!".

Yuma nodded, thanked her, gathered up the plates and put them next to the sink, before kissing Haru on the cheek and then moving back to Astral, offering him his hand.

"Come on Astral. If you're gonna be joining me tomorrow, you might as well study with me" he said and Astral immediately rose and took his hand, though he was not hovering.

"What do you mean he's gonna join you?" Kari asked, having risen herself and putting leftover food away.

"Well, I can't leave him here. He's solid right now, so he can't stay in the key for a full school-day and I'm not leaving him, nor the key, behind anyways. So there, that is the way it is! He's coming with me to school!" Yuma answered, tightening his hold on Astrals hand.

"Do you really think that's such a good idea Yuma? Considering his… complexion" Haru now chimed in from beside the fridge.

"He'll wear one of my uniforms and if anyone asks, I'll just tell them that… he's a cosplayer or something! Maybe that the color is a sort of… statement, from his side! We'll figure it out! He's coming with me!" the young man replied and neither Kari, nor Haru, protested further.

With that, Yuma and Astral headed back upstairs, for another transfer…

The next day, Yuma woke up unusually early for him and jumped out of bed, feeling almost electrified. Rushing downstairs, he stormed into the bathroom, went about his business and made his hair, before heading upstairs again, to find a uniform for Astral.

The alien had been startled by his partners sudden awakening but had been glad when Yuma left the emperors key in the hammock whilst he rushed downstairs. When the other came back again though, he immediately urged Yuma to put the key around his neck once more.

Yuma wasn't late in complying with his wish, feeling the cool metal resting against his chest as he changed into a school uniform.

"Alright Astral" he said after a while, placing some cloth over the hammock "try putting this on and we'll see how it fits you".

"You sure are rather energetic this morning Yuma. Are you alright?" Astral asked, worried at this sudden change of behavior in the other, even as he eyed the uniform laid out for him.

"Yeah, I'm fine Astral! I just feel fresher than usual is all! No need to worry so! Now, go on! We have to see if it fits you!" his lover replied and Astral found himself frowning slightly.

"Very well then, if you are sure" he said after a few moments, then focused on the uniform.

Having seen Yuma put it on many times since the other started high-school, it didn't take the alien long to get into it himself and when he was dressed, Yuma was gaping at him, looking surprised.

The uniform was a white shirt, a sapphire-blue tie, jacket and pants and black shoes. And that, coupled with Astrals complexion, even solid as he was, made him appear every bit as otherworldly as he was.

But it was in a way that made Yumas knees weak and made his heart beat faster in his chest.

"Oh, wow" was all he could say as he leaned heavily against the table in the room, hands gripping its edge tightly behind him.

Astral blinked, confused. "Do I… look weird?" he asked, worried, tugging shyly at the sleeves and the unfamiliar tie around his neck.

Yuma shook his head. "No, definitely not" he replied, voice a little hoarse, which Astral immediately noticed.

Walking over to Yuma, he placed his own hands beside those of the other on the table and leaned in against him, face inches away from Yumas.

"You seem hot Yuma. Are you sure your fever is gone?" he then said, seductively, noticing Yuma swallow heavily, before the alien claimed his lips passionately.

After a long moment, Yuma pulled away from him with a gasp for air and stumbled towards the hammock.

"We… we're gonna be late" he said, panting slightly and Astral straightened, running a hand, seemingly casually, through his lush blueish-white hair.

"Alright then. We should get going" he said, moving towards the door. Yuma grabbed his schoolbag then, relieved to have something else to focus on than his amazing partner for now, and then followed him downstairs, grabbing the bento box Haru had made for him before he and Astral headed for the bus-stop…

As soon as they were in public, glances were send towards Astral and whispers were heard behind them as they moved side by side.

On the bus, they took the usual seats in the very back, but even then, eyes rested on them as they drove through the thick traffic of inner city.

Upon arriving at the high-school, heads were turned and even whistling was heard, as they headed across schoolgrounds.

Astral moved as close to Yuma as possible, brushing his fingers against those of the other to get his attention.

Across this brief touch, Yuma sensed anxiety in his partner and turned his head to glance at him. "I know, it's not pleasant. But try and ignore them" he communicated across their bond.

"I… I'm not comfortable with all this attention Yuma" Astral replied nervously and Yuma took his hand, pulling him into a small alley between two tall buildings.

"Astral, you've got to keep yourself under control here. I can feel your energy even without touching you and it would be catastrophic if you were to lose control whilst we're in class" he said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry Yuma… But all these looks and whispers. They're agitating me and thus my energy levels… they grow a lot faster than they would otherwise. I'm already close to my limit" Astral replied, blushing faintly at his admittance.

"No way Astral" Yuma said, surprised. "But we had two major transfers doing the night, the last one just a couple of hours before dawn".

"I know" Astral responded, groaning quietly and twitching slightly, head turned away from his partner and eyes half-closed.

Yuma sighed, then glanced around, before wrapping his arms around the others waist and pulling him close.

"The bell will ring soon and then we'll be stuck in class for at least 3 hours before our first break" he said against the others ear "transfer some of your energy now, so you can endure until then".

Astral was startled by his actions and fearfully jolted his head up, throwing his eyes around them, fearing they were being watched, but all of his instincts telling him not to pull away from him.

After a few moments, he moved to rest his head on Yumas shoulder, arms around his waist as he mirrored Yumas pose, closing his eyes again and whispering "alright. I won't transfer much though, just enough" and his partner nodded once in response.

Seconds later, Yuma once more felt the sparks of the blue beings' excess energy shooting into him, faster than it had happened in the last couple of transfers, which he assumed to be because of Astrals current anxiety, and thus making this transfer more painful, though not unbearably so.

And then, just as fast as it had started, the transfer was cut off again, as a fast breathing alien let his arms fall and pulled away from him until he was leaned against the wall of the tall building behind him.

It took a few seconds for Yuma to get his own breathing under control again, and to master the subtle pains still jolting through his body, but just as he succeeded in doing so, the school-bell sounded, and he was forced to pull himself together enough to make sure Astral and he headed into the building, before they would be too late for class…


	8. Chapter 8

One – Chapter 8

(Hello Everyone! New chapter is up! This one is a bit longer than the last, but it introduces Astral to Yumas class and re-introduces him to Yumas friends 😊

Yes, I know that the others could see Astral from roughly mid-way through the series, and heads to Astral world WITH the rest of the gang in the very last episode, but I imagined it like this: In order for them to return to a semblance of a normal life, after everything that happened with them and then the subsequent battles in Astral World, Astral/Eliphas/Enna/Astral World in general modified their memories, so they wouldn't suffer under them.

Again, this is just MY imagination after all, so I hope you can enjoy the story anyways 😊)

8

8

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8

In the end, they arrived 5 minutes too late for the first class of the day.

Being late wasn't new to Yuma though, so he just took a deep breath and walked in.

The door hadn't been closed yet, so it wasn't as embarrassing as it could have been, but it was never pleasant anyways.

Once inside, naturally all heads were turned towards them, including that of the teacher, who was opening a book at his desk.

"Ahh, Tsukumo. Glad you could make it" he said, and Yuma send him an embarrassed smile, scratching the back of his head slightly.

"Sorry Sensei" he replied. "I trust this means that you are better then?" the teacher commented, and Yuma nodded in acknowledgement.

Then the teacher locked his eyes on Astral, who immediately tensed up noticeably.

"And who might this be?" he asked, eyebrow raised suspiciously.

Astral didn't answer, but Yuma was quick to jump in and help him.

"Oh this? He's an exchange student from up north. He's staying at my place for a bit and seeing as he's in the same year as me, he figured he might attend my class whilst he's here, so that he doesn't miss any school.

I lend him one of my uniforms" the young man replied, adding "his name is Astral. His parents are pretty crazy about numerology and stuff" before he silenced again, so that the teacher could speak.

As he mentioned the name Astral though, both Tori, Bronk, Caswell and Flip seemed to tense up in their chairs and their eyes widened noticeably, as they looked from Astral to Yuma and back again.

Astral felt his heart hammering in his chest again and once more brushed his fingers against those of Yuma for comfort, though he did so behind their back so that no one would see.

For some reason, he was extremely self-conscious at the moment, probably partly spurred on by the fact that he knew Yuma didn't like him being present doing the school-day because it distracted him, which made Astral already feel unwanted.

And now, with the way this teacher was questioning them, his anxiety grew and his fears of forcefully being separated from Yuma, manifested themselves in his thoughts again.

"I see" the sensei said "would you like to tell the class a bit about yourself Astral?" he asked "like why your complexion is so special for an example? I would like that question out of the way now, so it doesn't distract the other students doing the lesson".

Astral swallowed hard, feeling as though his heart jumped into his throat, but Yuma once more, was his salvation.

"He's a little shy Sensei. I think he'd like to get to know the school and things a bit better before talking about himself. His complexion is the way he expresses himself though, so it's just who he is" his partner said and Astral lowered his head, so he wouldn't impulsively grab Yuma out of sheer gratefulness.

"Is that so?" the teacher said, and for a few tense moments, Yuma thought he'd keep questioning them.

But then he just said "welcome to Heartland High then, Astral. You can take the seat next to Tsukumo. As you are staying at his place, it seems fitting to have the two of you beside one another.

Tsukumo, would you mind being Astrals mentor whilst he's here? Show him around, tell him about school-rules and so on?". "No Sensei, I'd love to" Yuma replied, at which the teacher nodded.

"Take your seats then. Class is about to start" he said, before turning to the blackboard and starting the lesson.

Yuma breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Astral and grabbed his arm gently.

"Come on" he said across their bond and Astral followed on somewhat stumbling feet.

At Heartland High, luckily all tables were two-man ones, and so once they sat down, Yuma immediately took Astrals hand under their desk, though he found his books with the other hand, pretending to do nothing out of the ordinary.

Astral squeezed the hand tightly, feeling himself shiver with excess energy after the recent pressure he'd experienced.

"You okay?" Yuma asked across their bond, once his lovers grasp became painful, but Astral shook his head faintly.

"No" he replied, utilizing the same connection "I… I need you".

Yuma swallowed, glancing up at their teacher, even as he flipped to page 45 of the book he'd just taken out of his bag.

"We can't Astral, not here" he responded, glancing at the one beside him, who, at his refusal to aid him, moaned quietly under his breath and closed his eyes, head

lowered, hand still squeezing Yumas painfully.

Yuma could see as much as feel, the other shivering, and his heart ached for his beloved.

After a moment, he said through their bond "maybe we can do like at home? And you can transfer a small amount to me, every few minutes?".

Astral again, shook his head, barely noticeably.

"It… it would have to be a constant flow, as things are right now…" he replied, faintly and Yuma swallowed.

At the others suggestion, he felt his heart skip a beat in sudden fear, but as he felt Astral tense beside him and turn his head to look directly at him, he forced these worries to the back of his mind.

Astrals eyes were a mix of pleading, fearful and worried and for a moment, Yuma could have sworn he felt him attempt to separate their hands, but Yuma didn't let him.

"Alright" he instead said, determination clear in his stature and thoughts. "If it will make you feel better, go ahead. I can take it".

Astrals eyes widened at his words.

"Yu… Yuma…" he said, unable to find the right words for a moment, but then he added "are you certain of this?".

Yuma nodded once. "I won't have you suffer for hours when I'm right here. If it can help you, I want you to do it" he replied and Astral moistened his suddenly dry lips.

"Very well. Thank you…" he whispered across their bond and then he released Yumas hands slightly, though he still held on to it, before taking a deep, calming breath and starting the transfer.

At first, it got out of hand quickly, resulting in the lights of the classroom flickering briefly, before Astral managed to get control over the energy again and make the transfer a steady, constant flow.

It was stronger than the flow from the previous night, but he knew it was necessary in the beginning, even as he worried it might cause Yuma pain.

But the young man had willingly offered himself as his conduit and that was what kept Astral calm enough not to make every lightbulb on this floor of the building

blow up, like the one in Yumas room had earlier…

"Yuma, Astral, wait up!" Bronks voice sounded behind them, as they all but fled the classroom.

"Yuma, I can't!" Astral commented sideways to his partner.

"I know, I can feel it" Yuma replied "just keep moving, we'll be there soon".

"Yuma!". This time it was Tori. "Sorry guys, need bathroom badly! Wait for us out here!" Yuma called over his shoulder as he kept running, Astral straight ahead of him.

As they reached the bathrooms for the boys, Astral was crying out in pain every other second and several lights went out as they passed beneath them.

"Yuma!" Astral moaned and Yuma kicked open the door and pushed Astral into the stall furthest away from it, locking the door behind them.

Instantly, Astral lost control over his energy, and with a cry of pain, there was a sound of shattering glass, before Yuma could wrap his arms around Astral and lower them to the floor.

"Transfer all that you need Astral. I'm here" he whispered and try as he may, Astral couldn't stop himself from doing just that.

A few minutes later, Astral had tears running silently down his cheeks as he felt Yuma twitch in his arms. The transfer had been too much, too fast and Astral knew it.

Yuma was hurt, and all he could do was hope that it wasn't anything permanent.

For 10 whole, long minutes they stayed on the floor like that, until Yuma finally stirred awake again and groaning, ran a hand over his eyes.

"Whew… That was crazy…" he mumbled and Astral, still crying, said "I'm sorry Yuma. I'm so sorry. I won't ever harm you again. I swear. I'll never let myself hurt you… Please, forgive me…". Yuma froze. He'd never seen Astral in such a state and it freaked him out.

He wrapped his arms around his partner again, pulling his all but limp body into a tight embrace.

"There is nothing to forgive. Absolutely nothing! And don't you dare pull away from me! I will help you, always, no matter what! Now, kiss me!" he said and Astral, startled by his sudden fierceness, did as he was told, planting a long, passionate kiss on his partners lips.

Once he pulled away from him again, Yuma took a few deep breaths, before he rose, helping Astral up as well and brushing off both their uniforms, straightening their ties.

Once he'd done so, he ran a hand through Astrals amazing hair, kissed him again, though briefly this time, and then unlocked the door.

"Ready to go face the others?" he asked and Astral, still dumbfounded at Yumas behavior, nodded. Then they left the stall and exited the bathroom.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were met by their friends, who stood, arms crossed over their chests, staring straight at them.

"Yuma, what the hell took you so long?! I almost stormed in there to see if you were hurt!" Bronk complained as he looked them over from a distance.

"Is that really Astral?" Flip asked, obviously in disbelief and Caswell nodded his agreement with the others question.

Yuma glanced around. "Not here guys, let's go outside for a bit" he said, and let the way out into the pale sun of the near midday.

Once they were somewhat isolated from the rest of the students, Astral sat on the grass, head lowered, without uttering a word, as Yuma stood beside him, facing

the others, his shadow falling over his partner.

"Flip" he then said after a little, once the others were silently awaiting his answers to their previous questions "you're right.

This IS Astral, THE Astral, the one I've been dueling with for the past 4 years.

Tori, you know this, you've seen him properly before, and spoken with him to, but I'm glad you didn't tell the others about that.

Of course, you've actually all seen him before, but after we came back from Astral world, you kind of forgot it again. That was for your own safety though, so don't get mad at us for it, alright?

Anyways, let me just formally re-introduce you to him now. Astral, come".

With that, he leaned down, offering Astral one of his hands. The alien lifted his head, and upon looking into familiar, comforting eyes, accepted the offer and allowed himself to be pulled up once more.

He didn't fail to notice though, that Yumas pulse was rapid and that goosebumps covered the patches of skin which Astral could see.

"Everyone, Astral. Astral, everyone" the young man then said and finally moving his eyes away from Yuma, Astral focused on the others.

"Hello everyone" he then said, raising a hand in greeting.

Then he looked at Tori. "Tori… it has been a while" he said gently, not wanting to upset her needlessly and knowing that she wasn't very fond of him for snatching up

Yuma.

"Yeah, it has" she replied "it's… good, to see you are alright. Except for the, you know, unusual visibility…". Then she silenced and Bronk took over where she had left off.

"Yeah! It's really weird seeing you Astral! How come you're suddenly visible to everyone?!" he asked, confused.

"I'm afraid that is quite a story" Astral responded "but I suppose it will be enough to tell you that it's nothing to be worried about. It should only be for a short while".

"Did Yuma do something to cause it Astral?" Caswell asked "because you know, in the end, he has a tendency to get everyone around him in trouble after all".

As he finished, he send Yuma a very disapproving glance, though he didn't say anything. "Hey, that's not fair Caswell! I can't help that trouble is actively seeking me out all the time!" Yuma complained, but then Astral cut him off, looking at Caswell now.

"I assure you Caswell, Yuma has nothing to do with the cause of this, rather, he is the solution" the alien said, resulting in raised eyebrows from all of Yumas friends.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Flip asked as the first, but Astral simply replied with "I am afraid I cannot explain it further. But I will be coming to school with Yuma for at least the rest of this week".

"Well, I'm just happy to finally meet you properly!" Bronk exclaimed after a bit, and all the others, except Tori, chimed in with their agreement in this. All of them moved to shake Astrals hand and Caswell even went as far as complimenting him on how neat the school-uniform looked on him.

"So, can we hang out after school maybe? I'd love to duel YOU Astral!" Bronk asked once the introductions were dealt with.

"Me too!" Caswell agreed "and me!" Flip joined in.

"That's a great idea guys" Tori said, arms crossed over her chest as she stood a little withdrawn from the others "maybe he could give you some tips for improving your decks and skills.

After all, he worked wonders with Yuma!".

Yuma was about to protest Toris' harsh words, but Astral spoke before him, turning to look at her.

"I only managed to teach Yuma so much, because those skills were always inside him. I simply helped awaken them, but thank you for the compliment Tori" he said, mirroring her posture. "Ehh, okay then guys…

Now, why don't we all just chill for a bit?" Yuma said, trying to mediate between his old crush and his partner.

Astral looked at him, then sighed, uncrossing his arms and allowing them to hang loosely at his sides before he turned back to the other young men.

"I'd love to duel all of you, but I'm afraid it will have to wait for a bit. Yuma is still recovering from his cold, so we promised Haru and Kari that we would come home directly after school. My apologies, everyone" he said, aimed at them.

Though they seemed deflated at first, Bronk soon recovered and raised an upright thumb towards him.

"We get it Astral. After all, we can just do it some other time, when Yuma is well again, right?" he said and Astral send him a small smile and nodded. "For sure" he responded, "we'll duel someday, I promise!".

Then he too raised a thumb at Bronk and winked. Bronk blushed slightly, but then just nodded, before lowering his hand again.

Yumas eyes were locked on Tori and he could see the hurt, and was it jealousy, on her face, but she had lowered her head somewhat and seemed to be trying to hide it with her hair, now slightly longer than shoulder length.

So, he didn't say anything, instead turned back to the others and frowning as he saw Astral wink at Bronk.

"What the?" he thought, but then just shook his head, as he saw the smiles on everyone's faces.

He'd heard Astral of course, as he answered the others request, and he found himself slightly worried at how easily lying came to his lover.

In the past, when they'd first met, Astral hadn't lied at all, but now… Yuma sighed softly, but then decided to back the other up on his story, as he knew the true reason for why Astral wanted to return home as soon as possible.

"Yeah, I'm afraid big blue here is right" he said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly like in the past, and smiling just like always, as well.

He never did have the ability to kick that particular habit. Not yet, at least.

"No worries Yuma. We'll just duel some other time. We all want you to get well again. You really didn't look good when you were send home by the school-nurse that day" Bronk replied and Caswell and Flip nodded.

"That's right" Flip said "but on the flip side, you've looked worse as well".

Yuma chuckled nervously at their words, but then lowered his hand once more and seemed to turn serious again, though he was still smiling faintly.

"We should probably get some food before classes start again. Let's go" he said and the others, even Tori, agreed as they moved back into the school, Astral walking as close to Yuma as possible, though he'd put his hands in the pockets of the uniform pants, in order to keep himself from grabbing Yumas hand instinctively…


	9. Chapter 9

**One – Chapter 9**

 **(Hello Everyone! I've had some time over the holidays, so I've been writing quite a bit. Thus, I will be uploading a new chapter today, and another one in just a couple of days! I hope you enjoy! :D**

 **ALSO: There is a bit of 'rape' in this chapter, though it isn't THAT violent, so you have been warned! 😉**

 **Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL and its characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi and his associates)**

9

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Doing the next cluster of classes, 4 hours in all, Astral sought Yumas aid roughly midway through them.

Yuma had noticed that the alien had begun shivering beside him, fidgeting in his seat as though uneasy and after their talk a few nights earlier, Yuma remembered that this was a possible sign of him needing another transfer and under their table, he took Astrals hand and turned his head to look at him.

Astral, sensing eyes on him, turned his head too, and impossibly wide, almost shining eyes, met Yumas red ones. And Astral had nodded his yes, to Yumas unspoken question.

Thus, the alien had used their hands as conduit and transferred a substantial portion of energy to Yuma, making the young man pant quietly beneath his breath, due to the strain of attempting to seem outwardly unaffected, whilst on the same time adjusting to the new power being passed to him.

But they'd handled it and once the transfer was complete, Astral had calmed down again, for a time…

Now they were nearing the end of the afternoon lessons and once again, Astral was sitting uneasily beside his partner. Yuma noticed it, but his skin still felt like it was on fire from the previous transfers and he was ashamed to admit, that he was hesitant about another large transfer again so soon.

He knew Astral needed him, but he hoped it could wait at least until they were on the bus and could shy, somewhat, away from the looks of others.

He was unsure if it could though. Astral had his hands grinding against one another out of view of others, his breathing was somewhat rapid and from time to time, he tensed up for a few seconds, before letting out a long, quiet breath of air and lowering his head.

All signs pointed to him needing it as soon as possible, and yet Yuma did not ask him about it.

Suddenly, Astral moaned quietly, and Yuma glanced at him out the corner of his eye, noticing that his partner was biting his lip, hard enough to draw blood.

Yuma had never seen Astral bleed before, no matter how injured he was, so it startled him, causing his eyes to widen slightly with fear.

He assumed it was because of his time, but not knowing for sure, troubled him deeply.

He wanted to ask him about it, but he clearly sensed that breaking the aliens focus right now, would be a very bad idea, so he didn't.

At the same time, he heard his name called and jumped in his seat, trying to figure out where it came from, only to realize that it was the Sensei who wanted him to do something.

"Tsukumo" she repeated again "are you listening?".

Yuma rose, startled, and bowed slightly, before nodding.

"Oh, yes, sorry Sensei. I was supposed to read, right?". His teacher sighed, then repeated her request, knowing perfectly well that her student had only been listening with half an ear.

"Yes, Tsukumo, if you would please. From chapter 16, page 152, line 5" she said, and Yuma nodded.

"Right" he responded and then quickly found the requested lines and started reading. It was English, a subject he was stronger in than math, but still didn't exactly excel in.

As he had moved, Astral had nearly jumped out of his seat, pure fear running through him at seeing Yuma so outed.

He nearly grabbed him instinctively to pull him back down in the chair but managed to stop himself in the last second with a quiet groan.

Once he did, he grabbed the edge of the table tightly, making his blue knuckles turn into a pale white, that resembled his hair color.

Why did he need Yuma so frequently already?! It made no sense! It shouldn't be this bad until day 6, or 5 at the earliest.

Yet, it was only day 4 and already he had to transfer energy every two hours.

It wasn't good.

Yuma would suffer if it continued like this! He hoped, with all his heart, that it was only in the school his energy build so fast, and only because of all the attention that was continuously locked on him because it was his first day. If it wasn't, then he didn't know what to do.

Once Yuma had sat down again, he immediately glanced at Astral once more.

Noticing, with a jolt of fear in his heart, that the alien was grasping the table painfully hard and that his eyes were more distant than ever and seemed dark.

So, it really couldn't wait after all.

With a quiet sigh, he turned his head and glanced briefly at Astral, before lowering it again and seemingly focusing on his textbook, though in truth his mind was elsewhere.

"Astral… how are you holding up?" he asked across their telepathic link. Astral jumped in the chair as he spoke, but didn't turn his head to look at him.

With an immense show of will, he released the table, hiding his hands beneath it again and closed his eyes, before he answered "I… I'm… struggling".

"Yeah, I can sense that" Yuma responded "but can you manage until school's out for the day?".

Astral moaned quietly at that, resulting in those at the two tables nearest to them sending them strange glances, before focusing on the Sensei again, once Yuma send them each an awkward smile, as if to say everything was just fine.

"Astral!" the young man then said, somewhat startled, across their link "quiet down!".

Again, Astral moaned, though this time it was so low that even Yuma could only just hear it.

"I'm sorry Yuma… forgive me" the blue alien communicated, but the message seemed a little blurred compared to normal, which made Yuma frown.

That couldn't be a good sign.

Suddenly, one of the girls at the table nearest Astral, yelped and rose, resulting in every head in the class turning to her and the Sensei asking what was going on.

"Something shocked me!" the girl complained and Astral nearly fell out of his chair. Luckily, Yuma grabbed the sleeve of his uniform jacket and kept him seated so as not to create even more of a ruckus, but Astral seemed even more pale than before, once Yuma could see his face again.

"He's losing control" the young man thought to himself and swallowed.

"There's only about 10 more minutes left of this lesson Astral. Then we can do another transfer before we head for the bus. It doesn't come until half past anyways" he attempted to communicate across their link, but as he got absolutely no reaction from Astral, he was unsure if the other had even heard him.

He seemed to have withdrawn completely into himself now, but luckily the Sensei just told the girl that it had most likely been static electricity caused by her uniform, coupled with the weather and the girl, though she pouted a bit, seemed to accept that this might very well have been the case, so it appeared that no one had noticed Astrals little mishap.

Yuma knew better though. Time was running out for the next transfer to be done safely, and it troubled him to know how hard it must be for Astral to fight something so instinctual within himself.

Through the next minutes, Astral remained distant, but his uneasiness subsided until he sat almost entirely still again.

Yuma couldn't feel anything but worry at that though, knowing that no energy had been transferred that could explain the others sudden stillness.

As the class came to an end and everyone rose to bow to the Sensei as she dismissed them and left, Astral still didn't move and as the rest of their classmates emptied out of the room, there was still no reaction in him.

Yumas heart was hammering with worry in his chest, but even so he still managed to bid his friends goodbye and none of them seemed to pay much attention to the fact that Astral didn't say anything as they bid him goodbye too.

When everyone had left, Yuma allowed his panic to take over, as he turned in his chair beside Astral, placing his hands on the aliens' shoulders, calling for the other. "Astral, Astral! Snap out of it! Come on! Don't do this! Don't slip away from me!".

Astral didn't react, except by twitching slightly, and so Yuma moved on to take his hands amongst his own and let his forehead touch that of the other, repeating his calling across their link as well. "Astral, please… Hear me… Snap out of this! You need to transfer your energy to me! Come on! Now's our chance!" he called, but still only the faintest of reaction came from his lover.

So in the end, Yuma cast a glance around the completely empty classroom, and then braved stealing a passionate kiss from the other, placing one hand on his cheek and the other on his neck as he telepathically called once more. "Please… Astral… come back to me…"…

After what felt like forever, Yuma finally sensed Astral react, returning the kiss with such great desire that it made Yumas head swim.

Next thing he knew, Astrals hand was moving under his shirt and he gasped, as the alien forced his lips apart to make their tongues dance.

"A…Astral! Stop! We're… we're… at school!" Yuma panted out, once the alien gave him pause to do so. His whole body was feeling hot and his uniform was already quite unruly from Astrals attempts at getting to his skin, which left the young man completely baffled. He'd never seen Astral like this before!

But the alien continued to force himself on him, pushing him down on the floor as he placed himself on his groin, leaning down over him to lock their tongues again.

"Ah… Ahh!" Yuma moaned "As…tral… Not… Not here, please. Someone… could see… bathrooms. We should go to… the bathrooms!".

Astral seemed to hear him, though his eyes remained dark and distant, and quickly rose, picking Yuma up bridal style and then taking off in flight in the direction that Yuma had led him, previously in the day.

Yuma couldn't think straight, his mind still muddled by Astrals strange behavior, but he did manage to consider whether flying through the school was such a great idea, all things considered.

Luckily, Yumas class had been one of the latest in the day, and most students had already left the buildings, to head home.

So, in the end, they didn't see anyone else in the hallways, which Yuma found himself deeply grateful for.

As they reached the boys bathroom, Astral made the door jump open just seconds before they reached it and then headed straight for the stall they had been in earlier, making the door lock behind them, as he pushed Yuma down on the toilet and once more placed himself in his groin.

It was obvious what he wanted, but Yuma wasn't exactly comfortable with the setting they were now in, even as it was at least better than the open classroom had been.

He didn't get much choice in the matter though, as Astral now unbuttoned his own pants and grabbed Yumas hand, forcing it down into the boxers he'd burrowed for the day.

Once inside them, Yumas fingers quickly found a very wet slit and he felt his glory rising as he ran two fingers up and down Astrals sex.

Within seconds, Astral was moaning, moving with his fingers and placing his arms around Yumas neck to remain close to him.

The blush in Astrals cheek, told Yuma that the alien was beyond aroused, and it made his own temperature rise substantially quite rapidly, as his erection grew to full size, though it remained trapped beneath his own uniform.

About a minute of rubbing later, Astral gasped loudly, shutting his eyes tightly as he cried out with his climax and Yuma felt a massive spray of liquid gush out over his fingers, just as energy seemed to explode around them, so powerful it lit up the stall like a flashlight

It nearly brought the young man to his own climax right there and then, but Astral clearly wasn't done, as he only took a few seconds to breathe in, before getting to work on Yumas uniform pants and then his boxers, still in what seemed like a daze, eyes half-closed and cheeks surprisingly colorful considering his complexion, freeing the trapped erection beneath and moaning, as his eyes glanced at it.

Before Yuma could react much, Astral moved just enough to make his pants and boxers slide down, before he removed them, allowing him the room he needed to position himself directly above Yumas erection and then push himself down over it with a loud gasp, until Yuma was fully sheathed within his heat.

As he did, Yumas breath hitched and his hands moved to cup Astrals exposed rear, making the alien swallow hard, before he started moving back and forth rhythmically, driving Yuma crazy with arousal and desire.

For every second that passed, Yuma felt his body filling up with more and more energy, and he realized that this was Astrals way of transferring what was necessary, whilst on the same time not overloading him, because the energy left him again almost as quickly as it entered him.

And the young man was so very grateful that this way of transferring seemed, so far, completely painless, but in his passion, he could not word this gratefulness, only drink in his partners presence.

5 minutes later, Yuma felt his climax approaching, and not certain whether Astral would accept receiving his essence or not, he panted out between heated kisses "ah.. Astral… close… I'm close… Should I?... Is it alright?... ASTRAL!".

The other only rode him faster and the sound of Astrals' wetness being all but slammed against him, drove Yuma over the edge.

With a cry, he came, deep inside his lover, the load larger than normally for a reason Yuma couldn't even begin to wonder about.

He just jerked a few times as the release washed through him and when he was all emptied out, he leaned his forehead heavily against Astrals shoulder, continuously panting, completely unable to grasp what had just happened…


	10. Chapter 10

**One – Chapter 10**

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When finally, Yumas head cleared up a bit again, he noticed that Astral was slumped against him, and that he was still inside his partner.

With a startled jolt, he quickly pulled out of him before his glory could fall entirely and their sudden separation seemed to rouse Astral somewhat, from whatever he'd just been in.

As the blue-skinned alien blinked sleepily at him, Yuma kissed his cheek tenderly, then asked "Astral… you have to explain, please. What just happened?".

Astral moved his head then, as if only now realizing where they were and how he was exposed and quicker than Yuma had thought possible, his lover was away from his groin and grabbing some toilet-paper to wipe himself down with.

"Probably a good idea" Yuma thought to himself, or at least he thought so until Astrals apparent answer came to him across their link "I've never felt so… unclean" the alien stated, making Yuma blush and lower his head shamefully, as though he wasn't the one that had just been all but raped.

Shyly, he too grabbed a bit of paper to clean off the worst sticky secrete and… other liquids, from his genitals, before pulling up his boxers and buttoning his uniform pants once more, rising to attempt to make himself look less unruly.

As he did though, arms were thrown around his waist and Astral pulled him in close, placing a hand on his hair and hiding his face at the others neck.

"Yuma… I am so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?! Are you injured? Did I harm you?" the alien asked, voice marked with grief and regret.

Yuma, taken back by the others sudden breakdown, immediately felt his heart ache and wrapped his arms around his beloved to try and comfort him.

"What?" the young man asked "no Astral! You didn't! Not in the least bit! Don't beat yourself up like this".

"How can you say that?" Astral whispered, voice breaking slightly. "I assaulted you. I forced myself on you! I… I changed…".

The last words were spoken with such self-loathing, that Yuma felt himself anger at the tone. "You're nothing like him at all! No matter WHAT you do, you will NEVER be like him!" he said, sensing where Astrals thoughts had strayed to.

"How can you be so certain?" Astral whispered in return, shivering in Yumas arms, but silently accepting his partners anger, feeling he deserved every bit of it.

"Because I am, okay?! Just deal with it!" Yuma replied and tightened his hold around the other, as though he was worried he'd vanish right before his eyes. "Yu…ma" the alien breathed and then he kissed his lovers shoulder reverently.

"What can I do to make up for this?" he whispered. "Nothing TO make up for, you blue idiot" Yuma responded quietly and continued "and in case you didn't notice, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit as well".

Astral whimpered slightly against him, and Yuma placed a hand under his chin, forcing him to lift his head and look at him. Tears were rolling down the aliens' cheeks and Yuma groaned quietly at the sight.

"Astral, please" he said, wiping them away with his thumb "don't cry. You reacted purely by instinct, in a situation where you had already endured the suffering of your time for too long.

I noticed you snap towards the end of the class, I could see that you needed me desperately, but I pretended not to, because I was afraid the transfer might be too soon after the last.

But when you took me the way you just did, I knew I didn't care if it might hurt or not. I just knew that I was losing you, and I needed you to come back to me as desperately as I need air to breathe. And then when you joined us and started the transfer…

There was no pain at all. Only pleasure, arousal, desire. In fact, I only knew that you were transferring your energy to me, because you were practically glowing, as you tend to, when it builds up too much in you.

Of course, I also noticed that I seemed to have more… stamina, than usual in these kind of situations" he blushed fiercely as he said that, but continued anyways "but there was no pain, unlike the last couple of times. None at all".

When he silenced, he kissed Astral gently, but the alien didn't leave it at that. Instead, he forced his lips apart again and let their tongues play once more, before pushing himself away from him with wide eyes.

"I… I'm sorry" he repeated, and though Yuma clearly sensed fear coming to him from the other across their bond, he just send him a wide smile.

"No worries! I'd be more than willing to submit to you again another time! Though, I would prefer for it to be at home, not here" he said and Astral, dumbfounded, just stood before him, uniform a complete mess and pants still on the floor, looking confused.

Yuma sighed softly, then walked over to him and took his hand. Astral didn't object, but his large eyes locked on Yumas as the young man leaned in close to him and said "I can sense that we need to talk more about this, and I want to do that, but let's just get away from here first, okay? We're gonna be late for the bus".

Astral swallowed, moistened his lips and then, finally, spoke again. "I do need to talk about this, but you are right. I… I will follow you" he replied, though he didn't let go of Yumas hand.

"No way" Yuma said tenderly at his words "you won't be following me. You'll be walking with me".

And with that, he kissed his partner, helped him get back into his boxers and pants again, and unlocked the stall door, pulling him with him out of the bathrooms and towards the bus-stop, never once letting go of him as they moved. Schoolgrounds were emptied of students anyways, so no one saw them, as they crossed them hand in hand…

Haru welcomed them home as they arrived and asked them about their day. How had Astral found school and how had the others reacted to him?

Yuma looked at Astral, allowing the alien to tell the story himself, in however much detail HE wished it. Astral said that he had felt somewhat crowded, by all the eyes constantly on him and the many questions, but that he'd been happy to meet Yumas friends properly for the first time.

Nothing much else was said on the matter, and Haru seemed satisfied as well, so soon Astral and Yuma were once more back in the attic, where Yuma dropped his schoolbag off near the hatch and discarded his uniform jacket over the table, before tossing himself in the hammock, inviting Astral to join him with open arms.

Astral hesitated for a bit, removing every part of the clothing he'd adorned in the morning, before he slowly hovered over to Yuma and lay down beside him, placing an arm across his chest and resting his head on his lovers' shoulder.

"Yuma" he said, without looking at him "it's time we talk now". Yuma nodded, an arm around Astrals back and his other hand caressing his partners arm, that lay over his stomach.

"Why are you so willing to forgive me, even when I treat you like this and cause you only pain?" was the first question the blue skinned alien asked. They weren't looking at each-other, just enjoying the closeness.

"First of all, you do NOT only cause me pain. As I said, that last part of the day was really pleasurable for me" Yuma started answering, and quickly moved on before Astral could comment on his words "and second, because I love you more than life itself.

Without you, I would see no light, only darkness. That is what you do for me, simply by being near me. I've never loved anyone that deeply, before…".

He silenced and Astral too were quiet for a few moments, as he thought. Then he said "I love you equally as much" which made Yumas heart skip a beat with excitement.

Of course, they had admitted their love for one another many times over, but this moment just felt really special, for some reason Yuma did not fully comprehend.

After a bit, Yuma broke the silence, saying "anything else you'd like to ask?" to which Astral nodded against his chest, before answering.

"Yes… What you said in the bathroom… Was there really no pain doing the transfer this time around?".

Yuma clearly felt that this question was perhaps the most important one for his lover to have answered, and so he replied with full honesty.

"Yes, none at all, Not even a bit. I only felt pleasure. The energy transfer actually felt really good, trust me Astral" he said and Astral sighed quietly.

"I want to Yuma, I really do want to trust you. But it's just so hard… What I did to you… Even with how much you love me, how can you forgive it so easily?

I became just like him! I honestly frightened myself, but I just couldn't stop! I wanted you SO badly! I HAD to have you! ALL of you…" he said in a faint voice.

Yuma smiled. "I kind of got that" he replied, but he knew Astral was truly troubled by his own actions, so he wanted to calm his worries.

Entwining their legs in the hammock, he said gently "you didn't rape me Astral. I wanted you just as much. Granted, we have never been rough like today before, but the truth is… I've actually wanted to try it for a while now. Having you dominate me.

I'm always the one in charge, the one on top, controlling the flow of things, but to have you do it for once… I really liked it.

If you'd be up for it, I… would like to do it again, sometime? But more controlled perhaps, so that you are fully conscious of what is going on. I'll admit, having you ride me like that… Whew, that was HOT!

But you did seem a little distant… I assume it's because you were so close to losing yourself entirely in the abnormally large amounts of energy that was in your system… That IS why you lost control and just… claimed me, isn't it? Your time…".

Astral nodded. "Yes, I assume so… But bear in mind Yuma, that this is also the first time going through it, for ME, so I'm not certain… However, I have never experienced such… lust, before.

Not for you, or anyone. And the violence I used when forcing myself on you… That I was even capable of that… It just reminded me so much about 96" he responded, his voice barely audible at the last words, as he shivered slightly in Yumas grasp.

"I already told you, you're nothing like him! Not ever!" Yuma replied, then continued "you didn't hurt me, not physically and not in any other way either. When 96 grabbed me, he nearly killed me". Astral shivered again, mumbling "I know" beneath his breath as he did.

After a moment though, he took a deep inhale of air, as if gathering courage, and then he spoke.

"So… me dominating… you liked that? And, transferring energy to you in this manner was completely painless… You would not be opposed to doing it again, some other time?". Yuma grinned. "You bet!" he replied "I'd actually prefer it if every large transfer could be done in that way, though of course, that isn't possible, with school and stuff".

"Sadly no, it isn't" Astral replied halfway as if it was to himself alone, making Yuma smirk. "Oh, so you wouldn't mind it happening again either I can hear?" he said teasingly, making Astral blush.

"I… well, no. But I…" the alien started, but then he just sighed softly, looking thoughtful as if searching for the right words. "I am not opposed to using this method of transference again, whenever we can, but it has to be more controlled. I cannot lose myself like I did earlier, a second time.

And that means, the transfers have to be scheduled from now on. If we wait, like doing afternoon classes today, and I am again in such a pressured situation, I will apparently snap.

I had no idea what I was doing until the transfer had been completed. We can't let that happen again" he then said, now for the first time moving until he could look at Yuma, though he didn't pull away from him.

"Well, what do you propose we do tomorrow then? And the day after? I can't stay away from school again so soon, I already missed an entire day and a half after all" Yuma replied, looking concerned. "I know" Astral commented, then the room fell silent for a few minutes as both thought.

"I could make it a constant transfer" Astral then hesitantly suggested "with a larger scale transfer doing the lunchbreak, perhaps?". "By larger scale, do you mean?" Yuma questioned and again Astral blushed. "I would… like that, yes" he then responded, "if you'd be… okay, with it too?".

Now Yuma was the one blushing fiercely, as he spoke. "Well, as I said, I'm not too crazy about doing… that particular thing, at school, but if it will help both you and me, then I guess… I could go along with it.

It's just for a couple of days after all, then we go on weekend and next week your time should, theoretically, have passed right?" he asked and Astral nodded. "Yes, theoretically, it should be so" he replied, and Yuma nodded once more.

"Alright then… We'll just… go with the flow then!" he said, smiling widely and then kissing Astrals forehead, though Astral quickly moved so it became a tender kiss to the lips instead…


	11. Chapter 11

**One – Chapter 11**

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The next day at school, Astral was, as expected, even worse than the day before. But with Yumas permission for a constant transfer of energy, the alien managed to control himself far better than he had a day earlier.

As long as they were in class, they could hold hands under the table most of the time to transfer the energy needed and doing the lunchbreak, they would disappear to the boys' bathroom for the first 10 to 15 minutes, before joining the others in the schoolyard.

At the end of the school day, Astral agreed to have a couple of duels with Bronk and Caswell, but as the sun began to set, the group parted, and each went their separate way home.

All in all, the day had been far more successful than the previous one, despite Astrals need to transfer energy, continuously growing.

When late evening turned into night though, trouble started stirring. Astrals energy levels grew exponentially, and there was only roughly half an hour between each needed transfer.

Predictably, Yumas body couldn't handle it very well, and so neither of them got much rest through the night.

The next morning, Yuma was feeling sluggish and his head was pounding painfully. Yet, he still got out of bed, dressed and made his slow way downstairs, followed by Astral who's uniform wasn't even enough to hide the glow emanating from him anymore, if anyone kept their eyes on him for more than a few seconds.

"Morning grandma" Yuma said, yawning, as he sat down at the table, where Haru had set a bowl out for him.

"Yuma!" she exclaimed when she saw him "how is it you look? Didn't you sleep at all last night?!".

"Huh?" Yuma responded slowly, glancing down over himself as though he didn't understand what the old lady was on about.

"Not your uniform, you idiot" Haru then said "your face. And your hair! Are you sure you're fit to go to school today?".

Yuma nodded, as he started eating. "I'm fine grandma, just a bit tired. I'm going" he replied and

Haru sighed. "If you are certain. But you're coming straight home young man. I don't want you getting yourself sick again" she said, before turning to Astral, who was standing behind Yuma, constantly twitching, eyes locked on his lovers back.

"Hello Astral. You seem… radiant, today. Did you have a good night?" Haru asked him and Astrals head snapped up to look at her, as he shook his head.

"I see, so both you and Yuma haven't slept. I wonder if you kept eachother up. You know, if that is the case, I might have to separate the two of you" the old woman commented, but a split second later, Astral had flown across the table and landed only a few feet away from her, pose threatening.

"You will NOT separate us, do you hear?!" he said, voice hard "Yuma and I are staying together, no matter what!".

Haru, startled by his apparent animosity, drew back a few steps, but then steeled herself again and said "don't worry Astral. Yuma is old enough to decide his own day rhythm, so I would not step in and force anything on either of you anyways.

I am simply saying, Yuma needs to see to his school too, and if you are keeping him from being able to do so properly, then maybe you should take a look at yourself and figure out how you can change that".

With that, she flipped away from him and back to the kitchen table, where she started working, ignoring the blue being who'd just openly threatened her.

Yuma glanced up at him as Astral flew back to his side, landing right behind him once more and crossing his arms over his chest as he did, fingers constantly tapping the sleeve of the uniform jacket.

"What was that all about?" the young man asked, but Astral didn't answer, just turned his head away and Yuma felt too tired to ask further.

All the energy which his body had been absorbing all but constantly for the past 24 hours, had taken a toll on him.

So where before it had energized him, now it had had the opposite effect and Yuma knew it wasn't over yet. With a low sigh, he returned to his food…

At school, things got completely out of hand. Only one third through the first lessons, Astral had been so uneasy, that Yuma had had to ask if they could go see the school-nurse because the exchange student wasn't feeling well.

This of course, resulted in all of their classmates' attention being locked on them, including that of their friends, which made Astral jump out of his seat after which he stood, hands clenched at his sides and breathing rapid, as several of the lights in the classroom inexplicably exploded, so that shattered glass rained down over several of the students.

In the end, Yuma had been allowed to escort Astral to the school-nurse and the class had been moved to the auditorium, until the electric wiring of the classroom could get properly checked.

Of course, Yuma and Astral didn't go to the school-nurse, as they both knew it wouldn't do them any good, but instead they headed outside, sticking to the shadows beneath the buildings, to avoid being seen.

Yuma figured it was best to, at least for a bit, remove Astral from any potential items that could be affected by his out-of-control energy, before he caused severe injury to someone.

"Astral, we've barely even gotten here and already you're this bad. How do we handle this?" Yuma asked, back turned to the other and arms protectively crossed over his upper stomach and lower chest. Not quite a hostile pose, but definitely a defensive one.

"I… I don't know" Astral replied, voice harder than usual because of the show of willpower he had to muster, in an attempt to control the energy swirling inside him.

"Well, we definitely can't separate, that's for sure" Yuma commented then, still not looking at his partner.

"No, most certainly not. If we were to separate now, I would…" Astral responded, but then his voice faded away and he fell silent once more.

"Hey, that's not happening, got it?!" Yuma replied, now turning to look at him again, though he didn't lower his arms.

"But we have to go back to class soon, and when we do, you must to be able to control your energy. We can't have every lightbulb on the school explode" he then continued.

"I… I can't…" Astral said, voice now lowered slightly, but tense with energy none the less.

"Well, we HAVE to find a solution! Don't you even have an idea?" Yuma asked, and Astral shook his head, wrapping his arms around himself as though in pain.

Yuma was frustrated, and it could be heard clearly on his voice.

He knew that it was Astrals time empowering his own emotions, but he couldn't fight them and in an angry tone he said, before he could think it over "I'm as wrecked as you are, you know? I'm suffering under this too!".

As soon as the words had left his lips, he instantly regretted them, but anger was still seething inside him and even as Astral tensed up, as though he had been whipped, his demeanor didn't soften one bit.

It was true! He WAS in a whole lot of pain and completely wrecked as well, not being able to sleep because of the energy constantly swirling around inside him.

"So… you want us to stop here?" Astral asked anxiously, locking shiny, wide eyes on Yuma.

"Just say the word and I… I will retreat back into the key and you won't have to suffer any more at my hand. Just… say you want me gone".

Yuma was angered even further at this and his heart was hammering painfully in his chest as he said harshly "If I tell you to leave, you will die. And so, by extension, I would be taking my own life!

I don't want to die Astral! Even if YOU seem perfectly content with doing so!".

At his words, Astrals eyes widened further and with a cry of pain, he collapsed to his knees, both hands clutched over his chest.

"Stop! Please, STOP IT Yuma!" he cried out, and as he did, Yuma was tossed against the wall of the nearest building with a loud thump.

As he slid to the ground, groaning in pain and rubbing the back of his head, Astral fell forward on his hands and knees, head lowered, eyes wide and shining and his whole body glowing brightly.

Had it been nighttime, he could have lit up the dark like a miniature sun, but luckily it wasn't, and school was still in session, so no one else was in sight on the grounds.

Astral was gasping as though he had trouble breathing properly and once Yuma was able to focus again, his head was pounding.

"Aw man…" he groaned "what the hell just happened to me?".

He'd felt as though a giant fist had punched him straight in solar plexus and then tossed him aside like a rag-doll and his whole body was aching.

But when he heard the sounds from Astral, it almost felt like his heart stopped, as he panicked and rose, tottering slightly, rushing back to the others side and collapsing to his knees beside him, quickly placing a hand on his back.

"Astral! ASTRAL!" he called out, but Astral couldn't answer, only heave for breath as tears streamed down his cheeks beyond any and all control.

"This is bad" Yuma thought to himself, realizing that he caused it.

"What can I do to fix what I just broke?". He didn't know.

But across their link, which seemed relatively unharmed despite what he'd just done, he felt overpowering pain rush towards him from his partner.

Pain, which there was no way Yuma would ever have been able to bear on his own. And so, he figured, maybe Astral too, couldn't handle such an amount of it.

Wrapping his arms around Astral, he closed his eyes and focused on communicating with the other without sound.

"Astral, I'm so sorry… I… I didn't mean it. I know you don't want to die either. I can feel your will to live!

But this thing that's happening to you right now. You can't bear it alone.

Come on, share your pain with me. Let me help you.

I know I'm just human. I'm not good enough for you, not enough in any way, but there is no one else, so please… Let me help you bear this" he said across their bond.

"Yu… ma…" came the answer, dimmed and echoing with anguish. "I… I can't… fight, any longer… I'm… losing… myself… Please…".

This was his cue, Yuma knew. Astral needed him more than ever and not just in a physical way. He needed Yuma, to keep him from falling to pieces.

"All that I am, is yours, partner" Yuma replied, opening his mind as fully as he possibly could, to their bond.

"All that you are, is part of me. I long to be whole… once more" Astral responded and moments later, they shone in blue and red mist, and as the colors fused into one, ZEXAL III emerged in their place.

Startled, Yuma quickly rose, his eyes darting all around them, but luckily, no one seemed to be present.

"How… did we just fuse?!" he asked, confused, but Astral responded instantly.

"My energy levels. They are at such a critical state, that I am creating a sphere field in my nearest surroundings. This explains the lightbulbs as well" he said, and Yuma frowned.

"That… actually makes a lot of sense" he replied. But then he realized their new situation and yelped.

"Oh man! We can't go back to class looking like this! What do we do?! Oh man, oh man, oh man!" he cried out, panicking slightly.

But Astral, once more, was there immediately.

"Do not panic Yuma… We are supposed to be at the nurses' office at the moment, right? Which means, no one is expecting us back immediately.

Give me the rest of this lessons-block in this form, and I will try to control my energy for the rest of the day. Please. This is already helping, though slowly" he said and Yuma sighed.

"Alright Astral, but we can't be seen! Maybe… we should go for a flight session? That would use up some energy, wouldn't it?" he asked and Astral nodded. "It would" he agreed.

"So, it's decided then! Let's high five the sky!" Yuma responded and with that, they took off, flying high enough for them not to be seen from the ground…


	12. Chapter 12

**One – Chapter 12**

(Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter! I'm working hard, and should be able to upload another chapter in just a few days, so stay tuned! (^_^)

Other than that, enjoy! And as always, reviews are appreciated! :-D )

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Once they returned to the high-school, the bell was ringing, signaling the end of the lunchbreak.

"I'm sorry Yuma" Astral said "it seems we missed the break. Are you hungry?". "Nah, I'm fine" Yuma replied, and merged as they were, Astral could tell that he was being honest.

At least he didn't have any appetite, though Astral was a little worried about this, seeing as his partner usually ate a lot doing the day and hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"I know I usually eat a lot more, but I'm not lying to you Astral. I really don't feel any hunger" Yuma said in their still joined minds, having sensed Astrals thoughts.

Astral sighed. "Perhaps not, but what if it is because of me? What if, what I am doing to you, is causing your lack of appetite?" he asked.

"Then it will pass in a few days and I'll be back to normal. Maybe I'll have lost a bit of weight, but I won't have taken any permanent damage from it. I mean, I still ate breakfast after all, and I'm also planning on eating dinner tonight, so it's not like I won't be eating anything at all…" Yuma replied and Astral accepted his answer.

"Well, let's land over there, behind the bicycle-sheds, and then I'm afraid we'll have to separate again. Will you be okay?" the human then asked and Astral, though hesitant at first, replied with "I hope so… But it is day 6 and my time is peaking right now, so I am really sorry, but I cannot guarantee anything".

Yuma just shrugged. "Oh well… If we do a constant transfer again, that should help you right?" he said and Astral nodded.

"Yes, and if you will leave our bond open like it is now, I will be able to transfer the energy more efficiently, thus theoretically making it less painful for you as well" he responded, and Yuma send him a smile.

"Thanks, Astral" he said and then they had landed and were once more two separate beings. Astral shivered briefly as the ZEXAL union was broken, but he'd shaken it off soon enough and Yuma could see that he was visibly better than he had been.

"Alright, I'll leave our bond like this Astral. You remember to do the same. But no morphing in class, got it?" the young man said telepathically.

"Of course not Yuma" Astral replied in the same manner, as they each straightened out their uniforms and then hurried back towards the school in a sprint, which served to burn a bit more energy, just like their flight had…

Astral lasted well into the second half of that days' lessons. Because he could transfer to Yuma constantly, he was able to keep his energy at a manageable level for 2 and a half hours.

But with an hour and a half still left of the block, he once more reached out for his partner over the bond they shared.

"Yuma" he said "my energy levels are rising more rapidly again. I cannot keep the transfer steady for much longer".

"I don't think the Sensei will let us leave again. Is there something we can do here, that might aid you?" Yuma asked in return and Astral thought it over for a moment before replying.

"You have our duel deck with you, don't you?" the alien requested, and Yuma nodded. "Of course! Never leave home without it! Why?" he asked.

"Let me burrow it" Astral said and Yuma opened the deck-box at his belt and handed his lover the cards.

On top of it was 15 number cards that they had selected together, as the ones they would always keep with the deck. One of them was Utopia of course, and then there were various others too.

Once Astral had been given the cards, he quickly found number 39 and holding it with both his hands, he closed his eyes and focused on reaching the monster the card represented.

"Hope" he called telepathically "come to me".

Moments later, the card shone (luckily, it was under their table) and the large monster that was number 39: Utopia appeared in the classroom.

Of course, no one but Astral could see him, as currently there were no duels in progress and so none of the students, including Yuma, had their duel-gazers activated.

"Utopia" Astral said telepathically, locking his eyes on the number before him "I am afraid I require a somewhat strange assist from you".

"You are going through your time" the number replied "you are reaching maturity. But you are still our Master. Whichever we may assist you with, we will. All of us".

Astral send the monster a smile.

"I am grateful for your loyalty" he answered it, then continued "however, I am afraid you may find it hard to comply with this particular request".

"Ask me" Utopia said and Astral nodded. "Very well. I need for you to injure me" he replied, making the number jolt with surprise.

"I cannot!" it said, but Astral broke it off.

"You must Utopia. My energy is growing too fast for Yuma to absorb it without being injured and I cannot risk harming those around us either.

I need for you to cut me with your swords, but I need you to do it here, on my chest, where it cannot be seen do to the uniform I am wearing.

Yuma will sense it happen, but the energy required to heal me, will aid me in controlling the rest, until Yuma and I can leave the school.

You are my only hope, 39.

Even now, I am losing control, so you must hurry!" the alien said, looking straight at the number monster.

Number 39 bowed as he finished, unable (and unwilling) to go against the original number, and prepared his swords.

With a quick move of hands, they slashed through the air, cutting Astrals chest beneath the uniform, without leaving a single mark on the fabric which covered it.

As they did, Astral gasped, clutching a hand to his chest and lowering his head, eyes still closed.

Beside him, Yumas eyes widened with fright at the sudden pain being transmitted to him from Astral, and he turned his head to look at the other with wide, fearful eyes.

Astral wasn't looking at him though and glancing under the table, he noticed that the alien was still holding Utopia in one hand.

The other hand had moved to his chest, as the pain occurred.

"This must be part of his plan" Yuma thought to himself, but still couldn't help but ask across their bond "are you alright Astral?".

Astral replied with "I am adequate. Fear not. I know you can sense the pain, because our link is wide open, but it is a necessity if I am to keep myself under control until the class ends. Forgive me".

"I forgive you" Yuma said in response, adding "I trust that you know what you're doing" before he returned his attention to the Sensei at the head of the class once more...

The lessons of the day ended, and the class scattered, as Astral gave their duel deck back to Yuma.

Bronk and Caswell tried to convince the alien to duel them again, but Tori was more curious about how he was feeling.

Astral wanted to be honest with them, but he couldn't.

There was no reason they should be informed of his time, as it was a very personal thing, and so he told them that he was feeling rather tired and would prefer to just go home.

Tori send him worried glances. She might be jealous of his and Yumas relationship, but Astral was their friend despite that, and she did worry for both him and Yuma. It was her nature.

Yuma assured her everything would be alright and that both he and Astral would be fine the following week and Tori bid them goodbye with a "just take care of yourselves. Don't stay up all night" before she left.

"Hey Yuma, can we come by your place tomorrow for some duel-time?" Bronk asked once she'd left, but before Yuma could answer, Astral had done it for him.

"No! That is, I need to rest to try and get whatever I have out of my system, so it would probably be best if Yuma and I just slept in" the alien exclaimed, making both Bronk and Caswell frown, though they didn't comment directly on it.

"Alllllriiiiight…" Bronk said suspiciously "well, I hope you get better soon then Astral".

Astral thanked them for their worry, then told them that he was sure he would, before turning his attention to Yuma, waiting for the other to bid his friends farewell too.

Astral wasn't certain if they'd get to see him again, or if he would become invisible again the moment his time passed, so he didn't want to say goodbye just yet.

He hoped he would get a bit more time to teach the eager young men, before everything went back to normal.

Sensing the eagerness to leave in his partner, Yuma wished the others a great weekend, before him and Astral stalked over school-grounds, towards their usual bus-stop.

On the way there, Yuma turned his head to look at the other.

"I'd like to see your chest" he then said quietly and Astral, understanding why he had this wish, stopped, loosened his uniform tie and then unbuttoned his shirt so that Yuma could see his skin.

It was covered by two red scars, that looked as though they were still mightily painful, and surprised, Yuma reached out a hand to touch them, resulting in a low groan of pain from the alien.

"Wow, you're really sore" the young man commented "what did you have Utopia do?".

"I asked him to… cut me" Astral replied, as he closed the shirt again and tightened the tie once more.

"What?! Why?!" Yuma asked, as they started walking again.

"A physical wound that required me to heal, would drain quite a bit of energy from me" the blue skinned being replied "it was the only thing I could think of at such short notice.

And I knew the uniform wouldn't be harmed by the twin sword slashes, so it was one of very few things that could have been done during class like that. But don't worry Yuma. They are pretty much healed up again already".

"I can't believe Utopia actually did it…" Yuma commented dryly.

"He had no choice" Astral replied "I am the Original Number. He sees me as his Master, and so must follow any and all orders I give.

He sees you as his Master too you know. Because you are my other half, and the numbers recognize you as so".

"He sure didn't in the past" Yuma said, voice lowered "I could only summon him when you were with me".

"Yes, but since we were officially acknowledged as one in Astral world, the numbers too, have changed their opinion about you. They know that you can control them, without losing yourself to the power they offer, and they know too, how fiercely protective you are of both them… and me" Astral replied, daringly taking Yumas hand as he did.

Yuma didn't pull away from him, just lowered his head, locking his eyes on the ground before them. "I hope I won't disappoint them" he then said, voice barely a whisper.

"You will not" Astral responded, though Yuma hadn't technically asked him to. "I trust you"…


	13. Chapter 13

**One – Chapter 13**

( **As promised, here's the next chapter ;) I hope you enjoy!**

 **Please Read and Review! :D)**

 _((Oh, and sorry... There's still not going to be anything related to tentacles ^^''))_

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Once the two were well on their way home, sitting at the back of the bus as always, Astral with his head turned to the side, eyes fixed on their surroundings as they drove through the inner city, Yuma sat with their deck between his hands, looking thoughtful.

"Am I worthy of your trust?" he thought to himself "I'm not what I was back when Astral and I were one, as the original number… I was reborn in this form… He's still himself from back then, eons ago. He still has all this power. All I have, is the power of chaos. I can't hear you guys. I can't even help Astral safely though his time. I'm not good enough to be your Master".

"Stop" a new thought suddenly struck him. "You are so much more than you see yourself as". Astral. It was the aliens voice he heard in his mind, but as he startled lifted his head and turned it to look at the other on the bus, the blue skinned being was still staring out the window, seemingly not paying him any attention.

Yumas eyes caught on some faint movement, and as he focused on it, he noticed that Astral was twitching slightly, his hand tightening and untightening around the edge of the seat. The other hand was under his chin, as he stared at the city.

"You are correct" Astral said again, utilizing their bond. "Wait, what?" Yuma commented back "I didn't even say anything!". "No, but I still heard you. And you are correct" the alien replied, and Yuma lowered his head.

"How long?" he asked. "I can endure until we get home, but not longer than that. My wounds are already fully healed up and my energy is building rapidly. I will not lie. I am very glad, that we have the day off tomorrow" Astral responded and Yuma sighed quietly, glancing at the deck still in his hands, but not seeing them.

"Yuma!" Astral cried out then and suddenly turned his head to look at his partner. "What do you mean by that?!".

Yuma, surprised, jolted in the seat but didn't look at him. "Nothing Astral. I didn't mean anything" he responded, but the aliens' eyes were wide and fearful.

"Yuma, if you are not feeling up to this, then I will not act. I would never knowingly do anything which might hurt you, you know this! If you do not want to volunteer yourself anymore, then I will accept that and retreat into the key. If I am in there, the rest of you should at least be safe…" Astral said, voice breaking even as he spoke and tears swelling up in his eyes.

For a brief few seconds, Yuma did not respond. He hesitated. He was worried and strongly tempted to just take Astral up on his words. But when he felt the others racing heartbeat and heard his short, shivering breaths, and when he felt him shaking, his mind was made up.

"Of course you're not going into the key you idiot! You're staying right here, with me at your side. And we will get through this, together, just like we have since this whole thing started!

I… I know what you heard… I can't, no, I WON'T lie to you. Never again! The truth is, that yes, I am scared. I am scared that I will be injured, that it will hurt, that there will be more pain than anything else.

But I'm also scared that I won't be enough. That I'll lose you! Just looking at today, you had to have yourself be physically hurt, just to endure your power build-up.

That shouldn't be necessary! Not if I was better. If I was stronger! If I was… If I wasn't human!" Yuma said across their bond, not wanting to have the rest of the bus hear him. He had a stern expression on his face, closed up and defensive.

But Astral saw right through that mask. Beneath it, Yuma was shivering, his hands holding the deck so tightly, his knuckles were white, and shimmering tears could be seen at the corners of his eyes.

Astrals wide eyes seemed impossibly innocent as he observed his lovers body-language. "Yu… Yuma…" he breathed out loud, but it was so low that no one around them seemed to notice it. In fact, Astral wasn't even sure Yuma did.

Just then, the bus stopped, and the driver turned around in his seat, calling through the aisle "Tsukumo, isn't this your stop?".

Immediately, Yuma rose, putting the deck back in its box, as he grabbed his schoolbag and swung it over his shoulder, moving to get off the vehicle, his head bend so that he didn't have to look at anyone.

Astral was completely still for a few seconds, but then he quickly rose as well, grabbing his bag and following Yuma.

As they walked towards the house, the street empty aside from them, Yumas head still lowered and Astral a little behind him, the alien suddenly noticed drops of something glistening, as it was blown back into the light of the setting sun.

One of the drops hit his cheek, wet and cold, and he moved a hand up to touch it as he stopped dead in his tracks. Tears. Yuma was crying. He hadn't been able to hold back his tears after all then.

"Stop" Astral started, low at first, but then he lifted his head and raised his voice "stop!" he called again "Yuma, please stop!". It worked. Yumas steps stopped almost instantly, but he didn't move anything else either, just stood there, head lowered and arms hanging loosely down his sides.

And then it came to him. A wave of pain, that made Astral drop his schoolbag and send him to his knees right there on the street.

He moaned when it happened. It was as though his heart had been pierced by a knife and it made his breath hitch. This pain, felt as though his heart was breaking.

Yuma. Yuma was the cause. He was the one. He was regretting having volunteered to be there for Astral, regretting ever having become an item with him, and since he was now retreating from their bond, the tearing of it, was once more separating the two halves of the original number.

Astral literally felt himself being torn apart once more, just like it had happened in his ancient battle with Don Thousand. The pain made him unable to move, made it a struggle just to breathe, and his energy-levels, now spiking higher than ever before, were completely out of his control.

They were consuming him.

It felt as though his body was on fire, like lightning was constantly striking him, threatening to tear him to shreds if he lost his focus for even a split-second. "No!" he cried out, panicking, as he threw his head back and his arms were folded around his body in a vain attempt to control himself.

Of course, it didn't work. Astral screamed and his body lit up, as three of the streetlamps shattered, leaving glass raining down over the street. Over himself and Yuma, who had lifted his arms and lowered his head, to shield his face from the shards.

Once the shattering stopped, Yuma turned back around and locked panicking eyes on Astral. The other was on his knees on the ground, eyes wide, as he flickered in and out of existence. He was fading.

Why was he fading?!

Scared, Yuma rushed back to him and attempted to get close to him but was pushed back when he got within a meter from the other, by something that felt like an invisible barrier. What the hell was going on?!

"Astral! ASTRAL!" he called out, but the alien didn't look at him. He screamed again, and Yuma felt as though some form of force pushed him back even further, from whatever was surrounding his partner.

Then Astral collapsed. Yumas eyes were glued to the other, as he stormed forward again, punching his fists against the invisible barrier.

"Astral, let me in! ASTRAL, HEAR ME!" he cried out, but still the alien did not react. Yuma could barely see him breathing, and his form was getting more and more transparent, for longer and longer intervals.

"No… No!" Yuma thought to himself, as he fell to his knees, hands still on the barrier. "Astral… This is my fault… It's all my fault… Why? Why couldn't you find someone more fitting?" he thought to himself.

This was what Astral had warned him about. He had told him that if the energy levels grew out of his control, they would consume him and then… he would die. That was what was happening now.

Astral… Astral was dying.

"No, please" Yuma mumbled, voice thick with tears "not again… Please, I can't lose you again… I… I can't live without you… I… I… can't…".

The young man felt as though what little strength he had left within him, vanished, leaving him too weak to even sit. A pain in his chest, told him something was very wrong, but he didn't know how to fix it.

If Astral died, he would die.

They were one and the same. Neither one of them could live, without the other. Not anymore.

"Wait… that's it" he suddenly realized "Astral is dying, because I… I wanted to separate us. I regretted unlocking the door in the first place. It was just for a second, because… Because I'm not strong enough to be there fully for Astral, being only human, but I did regret it. Can it be? Is that the answer?

It's just like when we dueled for the numbers. If I wavered in my determination, if I started doubting myself… Astral was severely weakened.

There were so many times back then, I nearly lost him, because my resolve faltered. Can that be what is… causing this, as well? Paired with his time, maybe it…".

With hard eyes, Yuma forced his tears away, and then took the key from around his neck. Holding it between his hands, he closed his eyes to steel himself.

"I cannot doubt myself right now. I have to be strong, for Astral. Because he cannot be so himself. I AM his other half. I am the part of him that never gives up. The part that holds the strongest desire for living. The part that is fiery and headstrong, that takes chances instead of being cautious.

The part that acts, instead of waiting. I am essential to him being able to function fully. And it's about time I lend him those powers again. The powers of chaos".

With that, he moved the key to the odd barrier, closed his eyes and then said "Emperor key, please help me! Disrupt this energy-field and let me get to my partner!".

And he pressed the golden key, now shining brightly as though it was made up of light alone, against the invisible wall as hard as he could.

At first, nothing happened. Yuma felt his heart skip several beats as he held his breath, trying to keep his mind focused on how deeply he wanted to be there for the envoy of Astral World.

And then the barrier seemed to weaken, cracks seemed to appear in it and then it gave way, and Yuma tumbled forward until his hands were mere inches from Astral.

The other was fading fast. It might just be a matter of moments before he would lose him again, and this time for good. "No! I won't!" he said, voice low and pained. And he forced himself to crawl close enough to Astral, to finally reach him and take his hands.

"I didn't mean it Astral. Please! I regret nothing! I will never regret unlocking that door! NEVER!" he cried out and suddenly he felt himself being pulled in, the familiar mist of red surrounding him.

"Yes!" he thought to himself, as he felt how him and Astral got merged into ZEXAL for the second time that day. When he looked down over himself, he saw that the form they had merged into, was ZEXAL II.

"This is the form we merged into after Dark ZEXAL was broken! When Astral told me that he could no longer trust me as he did before, but that he, despite all that had happened, still had not lost his faith in my spirit of hope. Is he… trying to tell me something?".

For a brief moment, Yuma pondered this, but then his partners pain struck him like lightning and he cried out in anguish. He fell to one knee, hand on the ground before him, but then he heard a car getting closer, and with a show of will, he got to his feet, picked up both his own and Astrals schoolbags, and then took off towards his house, which was only a few 100 meters away.

Jumping on to the roof, he opened the window to the attic and moved inside, dropping the bags near the wall, before sitting down on an old trunk with a heavy sigh.

"Oh man, I can't go downstairs like this and Grandma is expecting me home straight from school. But I also can't separate from Astral right now, not if he is to survive. He's still so weak. I can feel it clearly. He's still struggling to contain the energy within him, but at least now he won't have to fight alone anymore".

Joining into ZEXAL helped him a great deal earlier. He could only hope that it would do the same now. Then he got an idea, and rising, though his limbs felt heavy, he moved over to the hatch and let himself drop down through it, landing nimbly on his feet, though he then tumbled a few steps forward, before opening the door to his room and calling downstairs "Grandma, I'm home! Astral and I are gonna be up here until dinner".

He waited to hear an answer, but since none came after a minute or so, he just sighed and closed the door again, before throwing himself on his bed and sighing. Lying on his back, a hand under his head, he wondered how long it would be before the ZEXAL union helped Astral enough to communicate with him again…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

(Still no tentacles. I already decided I'm not gonna have that happen. Sorry to you, my loyal reader, if I disappoint you with this decision ^^''

To all of you still reading the new chapters when I post them: I hope you enjoy this one as well 😊) 

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"…ma… Yuma…". He heard the call only faintly, but shot up in the bed immediately, glancing around him to see if he could spot where it was coming from.

"YUMA!" it roared, now that he was aware of his surroundings again. It came from downstairs.

It was Kari. Rising quickly, Yuma opened the door slightly and called back. "Kari, I'm in my room!" he yelled.

"How the hell did you get up there without grandma seeing you?!" Kari asked loudly, and Yuma heard her coming up the stairs.

Worried suddenly, as he realized that he was still in ZEXAL form, he closed the door, just as she came around the corner of the hallways. Seconds later, she was banging on his door. "Yuma Tsukumo, what were you thinking not telling anyone you were in?! Do you realize how worried we've been, you idiot?!" she yelled.

"Sorry… I'm sorry Kari! I tried telling her I was home, I swear! But she didn't reply! I thought she might be out!" Yuma replied, and heard Kari sighing loudly.

"Open the door this instant, you little dweep!" she said, voice serious and clearly not up for taking no as an answer.

"I… I can't… Astral and I, we're… we're busy, right now" he replied, blushing fiercely as he knew how Kari would interpret that.

"Busy you say? For your sake, I sure hope it's with homework! Now, open this door or I'll kick it in!" she responded, banging on the door again.

Just then, Yuma felt ZEXAL breaking up, and startled he flipped around, looking at his bed as a blue mist formed over it, transforming into Astral before long.

The blue skinned alien was still transparent, but he didn't seem to be fading anymore, as he sat, head bent and hands in his lap, his school uniform in complete disarray, making him look just the amount of messy Yuma pictured Kari would expect to see, if they had indeed been doing what she seemed to think he had meant.

Yuma was about to speak, when Kari started slamming her shoulder against the door, clearly trying to do what she'd previously stated she would.

Quickly, Yuma turned back to it, unlocked it and then opened it, just in time for Kari to stop her next assault on it as she stalked into the room and crossed her arms over her chest.

As she saw Astral, her eyes widened, before she focused them on Yuma, effectively nailing him in place as they narrowed once more.

"So… Do I even WANT to know why the door was locked and what the two of you were just doing? You're still a kid dammit Yuma!" she complained. Yuma blushed fiercely, but met her eyes none the less.

"Legal age of consent is 13 Kari!" he replied, playing along with her idea about the current situation. At this, her eyes widened and she face-palmed herself, shaking her head hopelessly.

"I don't WANT to know" she then said, before changing the subject.

"Anyways, I assume you know what you're doing so… How did you get in here without Haru noticing?" she asked.

"I had to go to the bathroom really bad when I got home, so I must have run right past her" Yuma replied, having prepared this as a seemingly reasonable explanation.

"I did call out that I was home, though" he then added "I guess she just didn't hear me".

"Really?" Kari said, obviously not believing him. "And you didn't even think to check if she HAD actually heard you come in, once you were DONE in the bathroom?" she then asked. Yuma swallowed, then shook his head.

"No, I guess not… My stomach has been acting up all day, so I was really tired. I forgot. Sorry Kari" he replied and this time, after a few long moments, Kari sighed.

"Whatever Yuma" she answered "just don't do it again, alright? You're lucky Grandma is used to you not keeping your promises all the time any more, especially through the last year or so…

She just figured you'd spaced out and forgotten about it, so you'd be home later than what the two of you agreed on this morning. She went to buy groceries for dinner.

When I came home, she told me you weren't in yet, so I called Tori to tell you to get your sorry butt back here. She said you'd left as soon as school was out. I was worried, you know… You idiot. Think about the rest of us once in a while, will you?".

Her words stung, and Yuma groaned quietly as she uttered them, but once she silenced again, he nodded and bowed to her.

"I'm really sorry I worried you Kari… I'll remember to be louder next time" he replied, making Kari roll her eyes, before she ruffled up his hair and then went back to the door.

As she reached it, she turned around and looked at Astral. "Hey Astral" she said "are you feeling okay? You look more pale than usual" she asked.

Astral just nodded twice in answer and Kari frowned, though she didn't comment on it further.

"Right then… Dinner is in an hour. Don't be late!" she just said, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her as she did.

Once she was gone, Yuma let out a long sigh, feeling the tension that had risen in his body upon Karis arrival, leave him in a steady stream. Then he turned back around and looked at Astral.

"I'm sorry" was all he could say, as he stood, shivering, and waited for the others reaction.

"You… you pulled away from me. You… regret opening the door. You regret joining with me. You regret… us…" Astral finally said, after a few tense minutes, though he didn't look at Yuma.

Another stab of pain sent Yumas world reeling around him, and he had to lean on the wall to remain standing, as he moved a hand to his heart.

"No" he said, once he'd regained his composure somewhat again. "No, I don't" he replied.

"I mean, I did, I know, but it was only for a second! I regret nothing about you and me, nothing at all! I know that now!

Yes, I did briefly regret opening the door, letting you out, but it's only because of myself! Because

I'm so WEAK! You deserve better. You could find far better, if you wanted to!

The way both the boys and girls at school have been eyeing you since you started. It would be a cake walk for you to find someone else. Someone, stronger! Someone worthier!".

Tears came to his eyes once more as he said the last words, but he blinked them away forcefully, as he noticed that Astral almost instantly started moaning, before he tilted on to his side in the bed, back to the wall so he was still facing Yuma.

A hand was at his chest, the other was clutching the duvet beneath him tightly, his eyes closed.

Yuma, startled, stumbled over to the bed and knelt beside it, placing a hand on Astrals shoulder. "It was only for a second!" he then repeated, and quickly went on.

"I still think I'm too weak, we know that I am! We've seen it evidenced! But I understand now. I understand why you can't just up and find another. It is because of how we were, originally. We were one and the same.

But when we were split in two, because of your, no our, colossal clash with Don Thousand, each of us were left with some part of the original numbers being.

I know that I was reborn in this form, as a human, but I still carried my half of the powers, within me, although I didn't know that that was what they were, until we teamed up.

The powers of chaos! Of action! I act, recklessly sometimes, okay, most of the time, but still!

I am the half of you that burns most brightly, with a desire to live! To protect those for whom we care!

I am what gives you the will to keep living, no matter the challenges you, or I, or we, might face!

And I am the half of you that holds most strongly, our hearts' abilities to keep hoping!

I am the half of you that makes you capable of taking risks, of gambling! Of feeling, without it being logical in any way… I am the part of you that makes you capable of… loving.

And that's why I know now. I know why you can never find someone else. Because without me, doing any of these things would be a near impossible struggle for you!

Because, I am the only one in the whole universe, that can complete you".

Astral was silent. Yumas heart was pounding in his ears and he felt cold as ice, as though the room was frozen around him.

Then, out of no-where, Astral threw his arms around Yumas neck and pulled himself up until his mouth was right besides Yumas ear.

Then he whispered in a broken voice, shaking against him "don't ever… regret it… again… please… I can't bear it Yuma… I can't be torn in two… again…".

"I won't Astral" Yuma replied, voice thick with unshed tears "I might be weaker than what you need, but however selfish it is, I can never let you go. Not ever. And therefore, I can't regret unlocking that door!".

"Then… show me" Astral breathed and Yuma wasn't late to respond.

"Give me a moment" he said, kissed his partners neck, then rose and walked over to the door, locking it, before he returned to Astrals side.

Moving onto the bed beside him, he placed his arms around Astrals waist and pulled him up until he was sitting.

Then he started loosening his tie, removing his jacket and then his shirt, before he got to working on the aliens' pants.

Once he'd unzipped and unbuttoned them, he kissed the other passionately, and whilst their lips were locked, he maneuvered his lover into his lap, so he could slide the pants down over his legs and then drop them into the pile that consisted of the rest of the school-uniform.

Then he gently pushed him down in the bed, before finally releasing his lips so that they could breathe.

Astral was shivering and he was still terribly transparent, compared to what Yuma had gotten used to throughout the others time.

Anxiously, he asked "will you be alright? I… nearly lost you, out there…".

Astral swallowed. "I will live" he replied "but it was close… very close… I could feel myself being consumed by the energy within me… I was all but gone…".

Yumas breath hitched at this, and a few tears fell on Astrals pale skin.

So, he had been right then. The pain he'd felt, had indeed been Astral, dying. Leaving him again, though this time it had all been his fault.

"Your time… will it help you recover from this faster?" he asked, voice shaky.

Astral shook his head. "No… in this case, only one thing can… You" he replied.

"Tell me how" Yuma mumbled.

"Show me that you are being honest… Show me… that you understand" was the aliens' response and Yuma nodded faintly, then claimed his lips once more.

"I will. I promise…" he said to the other, across their bond.

It was faint, far weaker than it had been, and Yuma understood, that his actions across this evening, and into the night, would determine not only Astrals continued existence, but also the strength of their bond, going forward.

This night, would determine their future…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

(Yay! New chapter! :D And this one is a bit longer than the others have been 😉

I hope you enjoy and please, if you feel like it, leave a review! :D )

15

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"Can I eat in my room Kari?" Yuma asked, eyes determined and dark as he looked at her, hands clenched at his sides. Kari looked at him, instantly worried.

"It's Astral, isn't it?" she asked, as she turned back to the table and started arranging a tray with food. Yuma could only nod.

"Is he that bad?" she asked softly, and again Yuma nodded.

"He's really weak Kari… He needs me right now. And I need to be with him" he replied.

"I knew it" Kari stated, as she found a large glass of milk as well as another with water "I knew something was wrong the moment I saw him up there. He's the reason why you didn't go to check if Grandma had heard you, isn't he?".

"Yes" Yuma answered, voice faint.

Kari sighed, then took a deep breath, before turning back to him and handing him the tray. "If there is anything any of us can do, call for us, alright Yuma?" she then said, locking their eyes.

Yuma couldn't even send her a smile, just nodded and said "I will" voice far more serious than Kari had heard for years, before he turned around and quickly headed back upstairs again…

Once he was back in his room, he placed the food on the floor and then moved back to Astral, who was sitting in the bed, wrapped in the duvet, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular.

"I'm back" Yuma said softly as he sat down beside the other. Then he leaned over and placed a tender kiss on Astrals cheek.

"I'm sorry I had to go, but you heard Kari earlier… She was really upset, so I couldn't hurt her again. I think I've done more than enough hurting to last a lifetime" he added.

"Will you eat now?" Astral asked, turning his head to look at him with wide eyes.

"No, I'm not hungry… I think I'll eat later" Yuma replied, but Astral shook his head.

"No Yuma, you have to eat now, whilst it's warm. Kari went through the trouble of making it for you and you haven't eaten since breakfast… I… will be alright" the alien replied.

"I don't want to leave your side Astral" Yuma responded, leaning his head against the others neck. "You're still so weak".

"My energy is rebuilding itself slowly" Astral responded "but with the huge amount I lost before… It will take a while before I become fully solid again".

"At least I can still touch you, despite everything" Yuma said quietly.

"Yuma… I want you to eat" Astral said "please". Yuma sighed, then rose to collect the tray, before returning to the bed with it.

"Is it okay if I eat it here, beside you?" he asked the alien and Astral nodded.

As Yuma started eating, Astral leaned against him, head on the others shoulder and eyes closed as he dozed off. Yuma could feel across their bond, that Astral was very tired.

He himself also felt completely drained and his migraine from this morning had returned, but he ignored it.

Astral needed him to be strong for the both of them right now, and Yuma was determined not to disappoint him again.

Once he finished eating, Yuma pushed the tray away from himself, trying not to wake Astral, though he did not succeed.

Tired eyes locked on him from the alien, and Yuma send him a soft smile.

"I'm all finished now" he said. "See?" and he moved an arm towards the tray, showing Astral that he had eaten every last bite of food there.

"Good" Astral replied, then he moved slightly so Yuma could rise and move the tray to beside the door, before he returned to the blue being once more.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, placing his legs on either side of the alien still wrapped in the duvet, his red eyes meeting the gold and silver of his partners.

Astral raised a hand, placing it on Yumas cheek, as he sent him a small smile. "Better" he replied "but I am still quite drained".

"I know" Yuma said "I can feel it. Despite what I did to you, the bond is still wide open between us… But… it's weaker than it was before. Almost like my actions stretched it, to the point where it nearly snapped entirely…

I'm so sorry Astral. I didn't mean to do that. I will never knowingly break us apart. I can't. The thought of it alone, makes my heart ache".

"They did" Astral replied "our bond is of such a special nature, that things like this, like one of us wanting it gone, even for the briefest of moments, can cause serious damage to it.

I'm afraid you learned that the hard way…".

Yuma swallowed.

"Forgive me" he whispered and leaned closer, so that their foreheads were touching.

"I will try, Yuma" Astral responded, which made Yumas heart skip a beat, resulting in a low moan escaping him.

Try. He would try.

So, he couldn't be certain he'd be able to do so.

" _ **Yuma, I can no longer trust you, as I did before".**_

The words struck him like lightning from a bright sky. Was this really like back then?

"Oh no, please" he whispered, forgetting for a second that Astral was right there.

"Yuma?" the alien said, curious.

Yuma swallowed. But he couldn't speak.

So instead, he used their bond, to communicate his current thoughts, remembering the promise he had made, never to lie to Astral again.

"Oh, Yuma" the alien responded, also through their bond, but he couldn't deny the truth in the others worries.

"So, it is just like back then?" Yuma asked anxiously.

Astral shook his head. "Not just like" he replied, "but it is equally as serious".

Yuma groaned inwardly. "I will fix this Astral" he said in their thoughts "I will undo, what I have done. I will prove to you that I am not lying. I will".

"Please, Yuma" Astral responded, though he didn't say anything else.

And Yuma made his move.

Slowly, he pushed Astral back in the bed, treating him with only gentleness. Yumas' eyes were wet and shining. Astrals, huge and vulnerable.

But the alien didn't fight him.

Instead, he loosened his grip on the duvet around him, so that it was opened easily as Yuma worked to get closer to him, to touch his skin and the gems on his body, that the human knew would send his lover into a state of bliss.

Yuma understood, by Astrals words and actions, spoken and unspoken, that what the alien meant with his previous statement of "show me that you are being honest… Show me… that you understand", was that the young, human man, had to make it clear that he realized which parts of Astrals being, he represented.

The part that acted, that didn't overthink things, but went with his instinct.

And this was one of the ways he could prove that.

The way that it seemed Astral wanted him to do so.

By acting.

By taking charge and controlling what happened between them.

By proving that he had, by now, understood what could help re-affirm their bond and strengthen it once more, to a level that was hopefully equally as, if not even more so, powerful than what their bond had been, before he so hurt his beloved.

And Yuma would do it. He would take the lead and mend the bond, which he had all but broken.

He was gentle and tender as he slowly slid the duvet off Astrals shoulder, giving him room to kiss Astrals neck, and then his chest.

Astral moaned quietly as he did and moved an arm around Yumas waist, placing his other hand on his partners shoulder.

He exposed his body to Yuma, showing that he was willing to take a chance on Yuma not taking advantage of him.

Like this, he was extremely vulnerable, and he trusted Yuma not to hurt him, again.

"I will protect you" Yuma vowed across their bond.

"I will heal you. I will care for you. I will keep you alive and I will keep you safe. I will love you until the day I die and beyond.

I will never lie to you. I will never keep anything from you. I will open myself to you and I will share my heart and my very breath with you.

I will keep you warm, when you are cold.

I will be at your side, when you go through life and I will carry you, when you are weak. I will be your strength, when you have none.

I will teach you all that I know, and I will let you teach me, in return.

I will listen to you.

I will be your will and your fighter.

I will be your partner, in any and all things.

I will be the winds of change in your life and I will push your limits.

I will bring you on thin ice and I will force you to think differently.

But I will, forever and always, be right there with you, so you do not drown.

I will take you in my arms when you are frightened, and I will make you shiver with passion.

I will never, ever, let you go.

And I will **never** , fail you".

He made sure his promises, his vows, were sealed between them with a deep, reverent kiss to his partners pale lips and as he did, he felt Astral growing warm and noticed the blueish blush in his lovers' cheeks that told him the other was very much reacting to what he was doing.

These words had come to him out of no-where, but once they did, he had known that they were for Astral and Astral alone.

That they were an important part of mending that which tied them together and that the alien needed to hear them, and on the same time feel that his human partner was being more sincere and serious, than ever before.

And then his hands moved down Astrals body, still with slow, thoughtful motions, attentive to every little sign from his partner, that he might want him to stop or change one thing or another.

But Astral didn't show any discomfort or hesitance. He just groaned softly once in a while, as Yuma gave him his full attention.

After a while, Yuma moved away from Astral, though without leaving the bed, in order to undress himself.

His head was lowered as he did, as though he was ashamed, but Astrals eyes were glued to him none the less.

He watched Yuma open his shirt and remove it.

Then he watched him undo his pants and throw them to the floor beside the bed.

And once he was naked, he crawled back to Astral once more, moving in so that he had a leg between those of the alien, and the other on the outside of Astrals right one.

Then he moved a hand to Astrals cheek, his other hand running tenderly through his partners hair, as he kissed him.

"My heart and all of my spirit belongs to you, and you alone, Astral" he whispered, both across their bond, and orally, against the others' lips.

Then he kissed him once more, and as he did, he let two fingers move to Astrals right shoulder, where he let them caress the blue gem there, eliciting a whimper of pleasure from the other.

Now he moved his head to kiss the gem on Astrals temple, and the alien twisted in his grip.

"More, Yuma" he breathed "please… more". And Yuma followed his pleading and took further charge of what was happening

Locking Astrals arms above the others' head, exposing him further so that the duvet was now only serving the purpose of substratum to them, Yuma moved his hand from Astrals hair, down his body, brushing his fingers against every gem they passed on their way to his lovers' groin.

He was stimulating Astral gently and slowly, not wanting him to feel like Yuma was rushing something on him.

And Astral appreciated it.

He appreciated that Yuma wanted to please him, but on the same time had the mind to know, that overstimulating the alien at a time like this, might have the opposite effect of what he was looking for, on both of them.

And Astrals body wasn't late in making his appreciation known.

Once Yumas fingers started rubbing the slit between his legs gently, it was already moist and Astral relaxed in Yumas arms, which made it easier for his body to prepare itself for his partner.

Yuma felt Astrals willingness and his temperature rose as he sensed the wetness between his thighs.

Perhaps Astral wanted the same as he himself did. But did he dare risk it?

What if he was reading his partner wrong, and he didn't want a full union, despite his body's reaction?

He had to know, because his own glory had risen fully as he caressed and rubbed Astral and it was very visible to the other, if he wanted to look.

Suddenly, he felt Astral push himself closer to Yumas body, forcing one of his lovers' fingers into him and responding to it with a passionate gasp.

Yuma was so startled by his actions, that for a second he didn't move even an inch of his body.

But then he smiled and kissed Astrals lips, feeling heat on his partners face.

When he looked at him, Astrals eyes were half-lidded and his cheeks were flushed in a brighter blue than ever before.

The alien was groaning quietly, as he tried to ride Yumas finger which was still inside him.

He was very wet and with a smirk at the sight of his super aroused lover, Yuma claimed his lips once more, though this time the kiss was feverishly passionate, and he led their tongues play with one another, as he pushed a secondary finger inside Astral, moving that and the other in an out slowly, eliciting whimpers mixed with low moans from the blue-skinned being in his arms.

"I want us… to be one, Astral" Yuma whispered passionately.

"But I won't do anything… unless you want it too… I love you, so much…".

He underlined his words with further gentle rubbing of his partners slit, as he let go of the aliens' wrists to let his other hand move around his waist and press Astral closer to his body, making certain the other felt the obvious manifestation of his words.

"Oh, Yuma!" Astral whispered "please… I feel so… warm!".

And now that his hands were free once more, he quickly wrapped them around Yumas neck, clinging on to him as if for dear life, not wanting the other to separate them for even a second, shivering as he tried pleading with Yuma across their bond, to unify them and heal what had been broken.

And Yuma understood what his next move had to be.

"I will help you" he said tenderly in return and with that he got to maneuvering himself and Astral, into his favorite position for intercourse.

It was one where Yuma was on his knees, Astrals legs over his shoulders, which allowed their bodies to be pushed tightly together, whilst still allowing them the possibility of seeing one another, as their bodies and spirits merged in a fashion similar to ZEXAL and yet so very different from it.

In ZEXAL, they would be only one being, one body, though still with two minds.

But in this, each would still be in their own body, even as it often felt as though they were in truth merged into one.

It was an amazingly arousing sensation, and one which made Yumas mind reel with passion and lust.

And he was aiming for recreating that, if he could.

Once he had moved them into his own preferred position, he leaned down over Astral and asked in a gentle voice "will this position be okay for you, my love? Or would you prefer another?".

Astrals breathing was already panting when he replied, as his thoughts circled around what was to happen in mere moments.

"Yes… it's fine! Please, just… don't keep us apart for a second longer! I need you, Yuma… I need you so much it hurts! Please, show me you understand!" he responded, and Yuma felt his partners thoughts rush at him across their bond, trying to pull the two halves of a whole, together once more.

It made heat rush to his groin, to sense the desperate need in the other, but on the same time he was acutely aware of the tendrils of doubt and fear, he also felt across their link.

Astral still needed reassurance and Yuma would pour his whole being, mind, body and spirit, into making sure he got just that.

And thus, he kissed his lovers' earlobe, placing a kiss on the most sensitive gem on his shoulder, before adjusting himself one last time and then pushing his fully erect glory inside his partners warm wetness.

Astral moaned as he did so, grasping the duvet beneath him so hard his knuckles went pale, as he closed his eyes and threw his head back, his panting becoming more rapid and as such, Yuma understood, more urgent.

Glancing down at his sweaty, hot lover, he saw himself sheathed inside him, hands on Astrals outer thighs.

Then he moved his eyes up over the blue skinned aliens body, until they came to rest on Astrals face.

His partner was visibly aroused and his constant moaning and panting, was driving Yuma insane!

But he HAD to focus on their unification. He had to hone his whole being in on it, so that Astral could be convinced he was telling the truth.

So, as he started moving inside the alien, he did it slowly and rhythmically, keeping his eyes on the other to make sure he showed no signs of discomfort.

There were none, so after a while, Yuma quickened the pace slightly, which caused Astral to let out a loud groan and arch himself off the bed.

"Ah, YUMA!" he gasped, clasping the duvet impossibly tight beneath him and writhing as if he just couldn't handle all this passion, arousal and lust at once.

"You… alright?" Yuma asked across their bond, though it was hard to focus, and Astral bit his lip in response and nodded eagerly.

"Fine!" he replied, opening his eyes and locking his gold and silver gaze on Yumas red one.

Their minds were one, as were their bodies, yet he needed one more thing before their bond could be mended fully, and his doubts finally crushed completely.

"Yuma, my beloved… My Partner… Please, open your heart to me. Let me see all of your being, every bit of it" he communicated across their bond, moving a hand from the duvet to Yumas chest, where he knew the others heart was, and where he could touch the golden key, which was ever-present around his other halves neck.

"Please… I need… everything".

Yumas motions halted then, for a few long moments, as their eyes remained locked on one another.

He was scared.

Afraid of what Astral might find, if he truly searched every fibre of his being.

Afraid it might hurt him.

But on the same time, he wanted nothing more than to let Astral in.

"Yu… Yuma?" Astrals voice sounded, shaking now as though it was about to break, but then Yuma lowered his head for a moment and took a deep breath.

When he lifted it once more, one of the smiles which Astral had always cherished more than anything about his partner, was beaming down at the alien as Yuma said, utilizing their bond still "all that I am, is yours, partner".

So confident was his voice now, so strong did his presence feel in the void which still remained inside Astral, that the fear which he'd felt at the feelings coming to him from Yuma mere moments ago, seemed to disappear into thin air.

Then the aliens' breath hitched for a long second, before he closed his eyes, focusing on following the thread which was their bond, into the very essence of the young human man.

And as he did, Yuma remained inside him physically, though he didn't move, just kept his eyes on the blue alien beneath him, trying to keep his mind and heart as clear as possible, so that it would be easier for his partner to find that, which he was searching for.

Astral did not have to search long, before he found just that.

The thread between them, guided him like a bright light in the darkness and at the end of it, was Yumas heart, all of its contents, open for him to behold.

And the alien stretched out a hand and touched it, and as he did, the world around him exploded in images, scenes from his and Yumas years together, from the very beginning, until just a second ago.

And each scene was accompanied by emotions, some more than others.

But through all of them, one thing became clear to the blue-skinned being: Yuma, loved him.

More than he loved anyone else, even his family and life itself.

And the warmth of honesty, loyalty and the fierce spirit to fight for everything he believed in and held dear, surrounded Astral like a warm, snuggly blanket.

"Oh, Yuma…" Astral said to himself, voice tender and full of love, as he placed his hands on his own chest, feeling his own heart beat steadily away beneath the skin, in tune with Yumas.

Completely in tune, like only the hearts of two, who were one, could ever be.

Yes, there had been regret. Doubt and fears still lingered, but they were all based in a deepfelt and all-consuming love.

And Yuma was human.

He was not of Astral world, nor of Barian.

He was of Earth, and humans, Astrals had learned, felt everything so much keener, than Astralians or Barians ever could.

No one was flawless. Not Astral and not Yuma. And the alien accepted that these dark emotions, would never go away.

Instead, he acknowledged that they would remain and through them, he realized, their bond would only grow stronger.

And thus, as Astral returned to the bedroom, he was smiling, and his thoughts were brightly lit, and at ease, with the shine that was his partners constant presence.

Tears were in his eyes again, but now they were tears of happiness and of relief.

Yuma was looking at him, his heart pounding in his ears, as he awaited the others judgement.

And then it came, in the form of words spoken with such honesty, severity and reverence, that they made another situation just like this spring back to life before Yumas inner eye so vividly, that it left no doubt in his mind of their truthfulness.

"Yuma… I believe in you"…

The moment the words had been spoken, tears started streaming down Yumas cheeks, as he leaned close enough to his partner, to lock their lips.

"Please" Astral then requested across their bond, now flaring vividly within them both "complete me".

And Yuma wasn't late in answering, even as he blushed crimson at the implication of that plea.

Still inside the alien, and still with tears running down both his and Astrals cheeks, the young human male started moving once more.

Passionately, feverishly and the blue being moved with him, as their panting became as one, along with their bodies, hearts and minds.

And then, just when Astral thought he couldn't take in any more of even the tiniest amount of pleasure, Yuma cried out his name and the alien felt how his partners very essence was spilled inside him, to the very last drop.

And as Yuma peaked, so did he.

His own liquids sprayed out over his lovers' groin, making him glisten with its wetness, and Yuma moaned with pleasure at the sensation…


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

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Once he had recovered enough for it, Yuma pulled out of Astral again, and then let himself drop down on his side next to the other.

Astral instantly inched closer to him, until his head was resting on Yumas shoulder and he could place a hand on his partners chest. With that, he sighed with satisfaction.

Yuma moved an arm around Astrals shoulders and caressed the others arm tenderly with his fingers, as he placed his chin on Astrals head and mirrored his lovers sigh, ignoring the wet stickiness in his groin.

With his other hand he then grabbed what he could of the duvet and moved around just enough to pull it from beneath them and covering both him and Astral with it, so that they would hopefully not get cold.

Then, after a bit, he spoke. "Will we be okay now? Did you find what you needed?" he asked and Astral nodded against him.

"Yes, I did… And we will be just fine. I know that, now" he replied softly.

"Thank you" he then added.

"For what?" Yuma asked, kissing his temple, though he was careful not to touch any of the gems on the others body.

"For letting me in. For being honest. For keeping your promise. For making me whole. For… loving me" the alien responded.

"Oh Astral… Don't thank me for those things. I can't help but do all of them… I can never, not love you" Yuma said, placing his other arm around Astral now too, and tightening his hold on him.

"I'm sorry I was so weak before… I'll try to be stronger in the future" he then added after a moment, but Astral just smiled faintly.

"You're already more than strong enough Yuma, even if you do not see so yourself" he replied, and Yuma sighed.

"Your time" he then asked, moving his head so that he and Astral could look at one another properly "is it over now or?".

Astral hesitated for a while, before he answered. "I am not certain" was his honest response.

"Theoretically, it should end after 7 days, but with what happened today… I don't know if it has or hasn't. I still feel weakened, so I won't know for sure until sometime tomorrow".

"I see" Yuma replied, feeling guilty again, which was transferred to Astral too, though he handled it better, now that he knew Yumas true essence, and thus he didn't comment on it.

"So, we play the waiting game then?" the young man asked and Astral nodded.

"Yes, I am afraid we will have to" he responded "but at least we do not have school tomorrow. So, we will not have to hide anything, and we don't have to separate either". Yuma sent him a big smile at that.

"Yeah, that's true" he replied, "and damn am I pleased with that!". Then he kissed Astral passionately, before relaxing in the bed again, Astral now resting against him like he had before, once more…

It was bright daylight outside, when next Yuma woke up. He needed to go to the bathroom, and the stickiness in his groin was becoming very itchy and uncomfortable.

But as he felt the key against his chest and looked down at the alien still in his arms, he felt his heart beat faster and a tender smile crossed his lips.

Astral looked so adorable, sleeping like this, that Yuma barely had the heart to disturb him.

But his need was getting quite urgent, so he would have to try and untangle himself from him sooner rather than later.

"Sorry Astral" he whispered across their bond, as he began loosening himself from the blue beings grasp, hoping he wouldn't wake him.

But of course, he didn't succeed. Mere moments after he'd started moving, Astral groaned quietly and yawned, opening his eyes half-way, to glance up at his partner.

"Yuma?" he said questioningly, and Yuma sighed softly, sending him a smile.

"Sorry Astral… Nature calls" he said, kissing Astrals temple.

"Nature… Do you mean you require a bathroom?" the alien asked innocently, and though Yuma blushed, he nodded.

"Yeah, that's kinda what that means…" he replied.

"And you intended to leave me here without you?" Astral requested, sounding mildly upset, which made Yuma jump, before he answered quickly "only because I didn't want to wake you! You seemed really drained before so".

Now it was Astrals turn to smile. "Do not worry Yuma. I am not upset. I was merely joking with you" he responded.

"Wha… what!? Astral! You're becoming more and more human every day!" Yuma said, laughing softly.

"I certainly hope not" Astral replied, though Yumas laughter warmed his heart and made the small smile which played on the blue beings' lips, widen a slight bit more.

"But really Astral… I do need to go" Yuma then said once he stopped laughing, and Astral, still pushed relatively tightly up against him as he was, could feel his lover squirming, even as one of his hands seemed to be grapping his privates quite tightly.

"I'll come with you" Astral therefor said and moved to leave the bed.

"What?!" Yuma protested, as he quickly jumped out of bed and tossed on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, that had been placed on his writing desk in the bedroom, for him to put away at his convenience, though he hadn't done it yet (and it had been a couple of days already.

He just hadn't felt like it, what with everything else going on).

"Yes" Astral replied "I still cannot be separated from you Yuma, so I assume you will not mind me tagging along. Not even for a thing such as this".

Yuma was blushing now, but he was about to lose control, so after a few seconds of thinking it over, he nodded eagerly.

"Alright, alright! Just… come on then! Hurry!" he answered, and then he rushed towards the door, unlocking it and then turning around to make sure Astral was following him.

The alien was right behind him, hovering a few inches over the floor.

So, once he'd made sure of this, he rushed out of the room and down the hallway, towards the bathroom.

Luckily, it was vacant, so he hurried inside and just as Astral joined him, he slammed the door and then, without a second thought, pulled out his manhood just as it started weeping the first few drops of urine.

As the young male relieved himself, Astral floated around the bathroom, looking at its design.

He hadn't been in there often before, despite having been with Yuma for 4 years, and he was interested in finding the best possible way for him and Yuma to clean themselves, knowing that his partner might be getting uncomfortable by now, considering the various liquids he'd been covered in earlier.

Astral too, was feeling unclean and hoped he too, might wash off.

He wasn't used to being in a solid body, but since he was, he might as well make the most of it and get some more experiences.

Suddenly, he heard Yuma sigh with contentment and turning back to him, the alien crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his partner, getting a glimpse of Yumas manhood as he shook it slightly, wiped its tip with a single piece of paper, and then hid it away again.

Then he flushed the toilet, walked over to the sink and started washing his hands.

"So, Astral… How did you like joining me in here again? It's been a while since last" he asked, looking at Astral via the mirror.

The alien was completely solid again, which made Yuma smile with gratefulness.

It seemed Astral had recovered fully from his other halves earlier foolishness.

"It is… agreeable, to be in here with you. It reminds me of… pleasant memories, from your school" the alien replied, a faint blush rising in his cheeks.

"Oh really, does it now?" Yuma responded, turning his head and sending the other an obvious smirk.

Astral caught the look in his eyes and uncrossed his arms, as he nodded.

"Indeed" he replied and a moment later, Yuma pulled him into an embrace, kissing him passionately.

As Yumas hands were still wet, Astral now felt their coolness on his skin and he found that he kind of liked it.

He had of course washed his hands before, doing this week of having been solid, but it wasn't the same sensation.

As he pondered it though, Yuma let go of him again and finished washing his hands, drying them, before looking at himself in the mirror.

"Oh man, look at me! I'm a total mess!" he groaned, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

After a few moments, he started roaming through closets and drawers.

"Yuma, what are you doing?" Astral asked and Yuma halted for a moment to look at him, two thick towels in his arms.

"Finding towels" he replied "I'm gonna take a shower! Wanna join me?".

He'd spoken the question without thinking and now that he saw the surprise on Astrals face at his words, he blushed fiercely.

But before he could protest, Astral spoke.

"I would love to, Yuma" he replied, stepping over to him and taking the towels.

Yuma blinked several times, looking dumbfounded. But then he lit up in a bright, wide smile.

"Alright, cool! Let me just find a few towels for you as well. And then we'd better lock the door, so Kari and grandma doesn't walk in on us" he replied and Astral nodded.

Once Yuma had done as he'd said he would, he quickly removed his t-shirt and boxers again, and having placed the towels within reach of the shower, with Astral following his example with the towels he'd been holding, he stepped in to the enclosed stall and turned on the water, adjusting the temperature, before he turned to Astral and reached out his arms, offering his hands to his partner.

Astral hesitated briefly, seeing the steam already forming behind Yuma, but then something in his system made his body jerk out of nowhere and a second later he'd taken the offered hands and had stepped into the shower, pressing himself against Yumas naked, wet body beneath the spray of water, hands on his partners chest and head against the others shoulder.

"You okay there Astral?" Yuma asked and Astral nodded.

"Yes, I am fine" he replied, and Yuma kissed his forehead.

"Good. I did get a bit worried. You seemed to hesitate" the young man replied.

"I have not showered before. I was wandering what it might be like, for someone like me" Astral said and Yuma ran a hand through the aliens' hair.

"So… what did you observe about it so far?" he asked, as the hot water poured down over them, and the steam surrounded them like a thin fog.

"Only that it is… not unpleasant. I require more time to fully evaluate" Astral replied, and Yuma smiled widely.

"Well, allow me to provide you with the 5-starred experience then. I can't wait for your final decision" the human male answered and then he started running his hands over Astrals body caringly, slowly, so that his partner could get used to the new impressions he was being subjected to.

Astral enjoyed the attention from Yuma. The alien didn't know much about showering, except what little he had learned from his partner.

And as Yuma usually didn't wear the golden key when taking a shower, Astral hadn't been with him doing one before.

When the human did bring the key with him into the bathroom, Astral usually remained inside it, mostly for Yumas sake, as the young man had, up until not too long ago, been really shy about what he did whilst in the private room.

But now that he had allowed the alien in there with him, had invited him to join him in a bath even, Astral was curious to learn more of what went down in there.

And Yuma not only showing or telling him, but actually cleaning him, scrubbing his body with well-scented soaps and washing his hair with sweet shampoo as well, was the best way to do just that.

Astral found it very pleasurable and soon he was completely lost in the moment, just feeling Yumas hands on his skin, in his hair, massaging him, relaxing him under the warm water constantly spraying down over them.

After a while, Yumas voice broke through to him though, and startled, Astral lifted his head and looked at him, sensing one of his lovers' hands on his cheek.

"Astral?" Yuma said questioningly, and Astral realized that he had become distant again.

"Yu… Yuma" he replied softly, but Yumas eyes were worried as they locked on Astrals'.

"What's up with you?" Yuma asked, though as Astral looked at him it took several seconds before he could answer him, completely speechless by the sight of his glistening wet partner, eyes impossibly wide and concerned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the human asked again and then Astral finally snapped out of his stupor and replied.

"My apologies Yuma. I'm afraid I'm a little… distracted" he said, making Yuma frown.

"That's not all you are, partner" he responded and added "you're also… glowing. Like before".

Astrals eyes widened slightly as he raised a hand and looked at it, only now noticing that he seemed to be shining, like he had when his energy levels spiked doing his time.

And for that, he could find only one explanation.

And then came the confirmation, as he realized that his heart was pounding wildly in his chest and that he felt as though sparks were running up and down every inch of his skin.

He knew these symptoms well and so quickly, he pushed away from Yuma, resting his hands and back flat against the cool shower-stall wall.

"My… my time… It has not yet passed!" he gasped out, as a way of warning his lover.

But his words didn't seem to faze Yuma at all.

"No kidding!" he simply replied, throwing up his hands and shrugging. "Whatever gave that away, professor?".

Astrals eyes were wide and full of surprise, as he looked at the other.

"Yuma…" he said in an equally surprised, hoarse voice.

Yuma immediately heard the unspoken confusion in them though and thus stepped over to the alien, boldly raising his hands and placing them on the others' shoulders.

"It's okay Astral. I sort of figured that that was the case, when you started lighting up like a Christmas tree again. But it's as good a time as any, for it to make itself known again. We're together, in a locked room.

Complete privacy.

Exactly like you prefer, whilst this is going on, right?" he said, sending the blue-skinned alien a comforting smile.

One of those that Astral loved, more than anything else, except Yuma himself, and which never failed to melt the extra-dimensional beings heart.

So, after a moment, Astral lowered his head and a tiny, barely visible smile, crossed his lips.

"Right" he replied "you are absolutely right. This is how I prefer it".

Yuma smiled widely at that, and then took Astrals hands, moving one of them to his own chest as he leaned closer to the alien and kissed him deeply.

The energy inside Astral swirled and roared, rising to the surface and immediately travelling between himself and his other half.

And though Yuma was startled at first, not having thought a transfer would be initiated immediately, he just took it with a smile.

It stung as though needles were pricking him all over his skin, but he had absorbed so much energy this past week, that his system seemed to adjust to it faster than ever before.

Still, as he got pumped up on it, he found that other parts of his body reacted to it as well, in ways he hadn't foreseen.

He assumed it had to do with how their last transfers of energy had gone down, combined with the way Astral looked in that very moment, wet and innocent, wide-eyed and shimmering with energy, and the intensiveness of their kiss as well.

Astral noticed it and curiously, he broke their kiss to ask "Yuma, are you… enjoying this?".

Yuma blushed but nodded against him. "Yeah… Sorry" he replied, but before he could continue, Astral spoke again.

"Why do you apologize my love? How can I be anything but happy that you are finally able to enjoy these things which I have been forcing upon you for the past week?

I am glad that you no longer suffer as you did before, but… I can feel that I will need to transfer much, much more to you before this pass fully" he said, locking his serious golden and silvery eyes on Yumas red ones.

"I understand" Yuma replied "after what happened yesterday. And it's the seventh day too. I can't say that I'm surprised at your words".

With that, he kissed Astral again, making the alien gasp for breath once their lips separated once more, his cheeks flushed.

The water was still washing down over them, but the temperature of it seemed almost warmer than before. What Yuma did next, startled Astral, making him cry out with surprise.

The human male pushed him against the bathroom wall, forcing the aliens hands up above his head and pinning them there, with his own hand, as he wrapped his other arm around Astrals waist and pulled his lower body against his own, until his rising glory was pushing against the blue beings' private area.

"Yuma!" Astral gasped, shocked by the way Yuma seemed to be acting.

But when he felt the hardness of his partner pressing against him, his own body reacted with shivering, as more sparks of energy ran over his skin, moving onto Yumas', and making his own temperature rise further.

"This… isn't safe" the alien tried, but Yuma was quick to respond.

"We're gonna be fine Astral… I've never done it in a shower before, but I read that it's supposed to be good… Besides, we both know the best way for you to transfer your energy to me, don't we, partner?" he said, smirking as he breathed small puffs of air onto Astrals earlobe, before moving his head so he could kiss the gem on Astrals right shoulder.

As the human male started playing with the gem with his tongue, Astral cried out with the intensiveness of what he was being subjected to, and for a few seconds, fear roared in his mind.

Fear, that Yuma would overstimulate him, so he would lose any resemblance of control over himself, thus injuring his beloved terribly.

"No!" he cried out, gasping as he struggled in Yumas hold.

For a moment, it seemed Yuma would ignore him, but then suddenly, he let go of the aliens' wrists, which had been pinned above Astrals head, and took a step back.

As he did, Astral slid down the wall until he was on his knees, hands on the floor-tiles in front of himself, and panting.

When Yuma looked at him, all he saw was fear, bordering panic.

Astral was glowing even brighter now than he had before, signaling that he required a very large transfer of energy as soon as possible, but his eyes were shining with anxiety.

Yuma felt his heart ache at the sight, and quickly he turned off the water and knelt in front of the alien, wrapping an arm around the others neck and placing his other around Astrals back.

"I… I'm sorry Astral! I didn't mean to scare you! I… I don't know what got into me!" he said, voice breaking with worry for his lover.

Astral immediately threw his arms around Yumas waist, leaning his forehead against the others chest.

"Yuma, please! Hold me! I feel… I feel like I could shatter into pieces at any moment! Please, help me Yuma!" the alien said, voice hoarse and higher pitched than normally.

"I'm here Astral" Yuma replied "I'm always here! I'm so sorry I caused this!".

"Not… your… fault" Astral responded, barely able to speak in his panicked state. "I… should… have… more… faith… in you" he added "forgive me".

"There is nothing TO forgive Astral! I shouldn't have been so rough with you, that was wrong! I just… I want you! I want to be one with you again, so much it hurts!

And I know that that is the best way for you to transfer energy to me as well. It's almost as if… my body, my mind… are pushed by the energy I can feel coming off of you, to desire you more than ever before!

To desire… unification, more than ever!" Yuma replied, tightening his hold around the blue skinned alien.

"I too, feel this pull" Astral replied "but I am afraid… I am afraid I might lose control and… and end up hurting you, Yuma…".

"You won't Astral. I know it!" Yuma responded, eyes honest and steadfast, though Astral could not see them.

"But… what if you are wrong?" Astral whispered, barely audibly.

"I won't be" was Yumas' answer, as he tightened his hold around the other, resting his chin on Astrals head.

"But you have to let yourself be controlled, just this once. That way, you won't have to focus on anything but the transfer itself" he added.

"Perhaps you are right… perhaps that will help" Astral responded, but then he suddenly gasped, his hold around Yumas waist becoming painful as the alien cried out in torment.

The energy transfer needed to be done, now or never.

His glow was now blinding, and Yuma had to shield his sight with one hand, to keep even the smallest eye on his alien.

"Oh no, Astral!" the human called anxiously "the transfer… you KNOW you have to do it NOW! So just please, don't fight me on this! Let me take charge! Allow yourself to be led!".

Astral locked his eyes on him for the briefest of moments, sending him a look that told Yuma that he surrendered and gave him permission to follow his own suggestion.

Then the moment was over, and Astral was crying out in pain again, throwing his head back with it as he did.

And Yuma, whose body was still acutely sensitive due to the energy leaking into him even now, though no transfer had officially been initiated, was all ready to go the moment Astral allowed him to.

He nodded determinedly, then rose, pulling Astral up with him by the hands, before reaching one of his own arms back behind him, and turning on the water once more.

For comfort, he turned the temperature down slightly, figuring they'd be warm enough even without the hottest water the house had to offer.

After this, he pressed Astral up against the left shower-stall wall, moving so that he had a hand under one of Astrals thighs and could lift it, leaving the alien to balance on one leg alone.

But he didn't have to carry all of his weight himself as Yuma too, bore some of it, with the way he was now holding his lover.

Once Astrals legs were spread wide enough, Yuma let a hand travel down to the others' privates, to try and get an idea of how ready HE was.

As it turned out, once Yumas fingers caressed Astrals genitals, they met a very wet and definitely readied slit, and so, with a smirk, Yuma removed his hand again, before adjusting his own position until his full erection could slip into his partner once more, eliciting a loud cry of passion from the blue skinned alien, as him and his other half were joined into one being, yet again.

As a result of the union, their bond flared wide open, and to prepare the other, Astral panted across it "my energy… I must start transferring larger portions of it… as soon as possible! Are you… ready, Yuma?".

The alien could feel how consumed with arousal, desire and passion his other half was, and joined in both mind and body as they were, these emotions roared in Astral too, making him hot and elevating his own feelings and sensations ten-fold.

He knew it was hard for Yuma to answer in such a state, but he needed him to do so all the same, even if it would only be in one or two words.

"Definitely!" came the response across their bond, and the second it did, Astral let fly all control and allowed himself to be consumed by the moment, knowing that he would not perish, because he was not alone.

Yuma was here, and his other half would keep him safe…


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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When Astral could again focus on his surroundings, he felt relieved and weak. But the weakness was a good thing, because it meant that the energy he'd build up, had been transferred safely.

He was no longer shining, though he was back to being semi-transparent.

With this, he was certain that his time had passed, and as all returned to normal once more, he'd slowly return to the state in which no one but Yuma, and most likely also Tori, would be able to see him. And then he could return to the key when Yuma was at school and everything would become as it had been before. That was his expectation.

The alien sighed, then opened his eyes and as soon as he did, they locked with Yumas and the two send eachother a smile, as Astral slowly became aware that Yuma was no longer moving inside him and that the water which had washed down over them doing their unification, had been turned off.

Moments later, Yuma moved away and Astral slowly slid to the floor with a soft sigh, closing his eyes and resting his head against the tiles behind him.

When Yuma returned, a warm towel was wrapped around Astral, as his partner helped him to his feet and then started drying him gently.

After a bit, Yuma found a towel for himself as well, and with Astrals half-lidded eyes resting in him, the human started drying his hair and then his body.

When he was done, he looked at Astral. "Need any help?" he asked softly, and startled, Astral quickly shook his head.

"No, I am fine. I can do this myself, do not worry" he replied, and Yuma nodded.

"Alright then" he said and then, wrapping the large towel around his waist, he grabbed the t-shirt and boxers he'd worn to the bathroom earlier and placed them over one of his arms, before he unlocked the door and opened it, letting out a cloud of steam as he did.

Then he left, expecting Astral to follow him. Astral took Yumas lead and wrapped his own towel around his waist as well, though he didn't really feel shy about his body, before moving after his other half.

Back in his bedroom, Yuma dried his hair before discarding his towel over a chair and getting dressed, in casual clothes, as they had the day off. Astral also dried his own hair and placed his towel on top of Yumas, before he moved to the window and looked outside, back turned to his partner.

The weather was sunny. The sky seemed blue, though the trees were naked, as per the season. He was lost in thought, until a hand on his arm suddenly brought him out of them and he turned his head to see Yuma standing beside him, looking slightly worried.

"Are you… okay there, Astral?" he asked gently "you seemed really far away… Didn't you hear me?".

"My apologies Yuma. I seem to have been lost in thought for a moment. What did you say?" he asked, and Yuma frowned.

"No kidding" he mumbled, then he let go of Astrals arm again, though their eyes remained locked. Taking a deep breath, Yuma then spoke again.

"I was asking, what will happen from now on? Do things go back to the way they were before?" he said. Astral nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, it should. It will take a few days, but before too long, I should be back in my natural state. So, you do not have to be distracted by me at school anymore. I will be able to return to the key as usual and then you can go back to paying proper attention to your teachers, instead of worrying about me" the alien replied.

"Well, that's… good. I guess" Yuma responded, then sighed as he turned away from Astral again, moving to the ladder that lead to the attic and climbing it, before he disappeared into his preferred room.

Astral frowned. He could have sworn something was off with the other, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what.

Then out of no-where, an overpowering sense of sadness struck him, making him gasp quietly as he quickly moved a hand to his chest. This wasn't his own feeling. It came from Yuma.

"Yu… Yuma…" he mumbled, wondering what had caused this.

Deciding that he couldn't let his beloved suffer like this alone, he hovered through the hatch to the attic, glancing around as he got up there and spotting Yuma in the hammock, lying on his side, back turned to him.

"Yuma?" Astral said softly, as he hovered over to him though he did not reach out to touch him. Not at first.

When he saw Yumas shoulders moving though, he couldn't help himself and moments later, he was hovering over the edge of the hammock, half-turned to Yuma, a hand on the others shoulder.

"Yuma, look at me. Please" he said, and Yuma slowly turned his head to do as he was asked.

Then Astral gasped quietly. Yuma was indeed crying, just as the alien had suspected.

"Oh Yuma, what is wrong? Tell me. Is it something I said?" he asked anxiously.

Yuma moved a hand to wipe away his tears, but as he spoke, more came and he couldn't hold them back. "I… It's just… I knew things would return to normal eventually, once you were safe again.

And I am so happy that you won't disappear. But… I had gotten used to you always being with me and I… I'm gonna miss that" he replied.

Astral smiled softly. "It's not like I am leaving, Yuma… I will still be right here with you, always. Even if I am inside the key, you know all you have to do is call for me and I will come, do you not?" he said, hand still on Yumas shoulder.

"It's not the same. The others were finally able to see you. They're gonna miss you. And what about the duels you promised them? I was kind of looking forward to watching you just enjoy dueling for once, without worlds being on the line. I mean, I still get to duel every day, but it would be different if you could get to do it too…

And like this, sleeping with you beside me, sharing my duvet with you and feeling you physically right beside me when I fell asleep and again when I woke up…

I had really started to… to enjoy that. And now…" the young human said, as more tears ran silently down his cheeks.

"Oh Yuma… My love… Please, do not cry. We were together before my time and we made it work. We can do so again. And things are different now, even as they remain the same. Our bond has become stronger than ever before.

We will never be apart for real. Not ever again. At least, that is what I believe.

And… I can make myself solid sometimes, if you'd like me too.

Granted, it requires a lot of will, but it is nothing I cannot handle. And remember, you will still be able to touch me, even as others will not.

You could before, and you still can. Always" Astral responded, sending Yuma a small smile and moving a hand to wipe away the others' tears.

"Promise?" Yuma asked and Astral nodded. "Yes. I promise" he replied, and Yuma moved his head just enough to kiss the palm of the aliens' hand tenderly, reverently.

For a long while, they remained like that, Yuma on his side in the hammock, Astral behind him, hovering just above it, a hand on his partners shoulders. But then a voice called from below and both were startled.

As Yuma sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the hammock, the voice called again. "Yuma, is everything alright? Are you gonna come down today or should I just bring some food up here?".

It was Kari. Yuma swallowed, then he rose and, accessing himself in an antique mirror, he wiped away the last traces of tears, before climbing down the ladder, to his actual bedroom.

"Hey Kari" he said, proud to notice that his voice sounded like usually and wasn't marked by his earlier crying.

"Oh great, you're up" Kari said as she saw him "you missed breakfast, but lunch is ready if you'd like any. Where's Astral?".

"Astral? He's" Yuma started replying, but then Astral appeared through the hatch to the attic as he said, "greetings Kari".

"Astral! Good to see you again… Are you feeling better?" she asked as she saw him and Astral nodded.

"Yes, thank you. I am quite alright now. Though, I'm afraid this means you will not be able to see me much longer… In just a few days' time, I should be back to my normal self once more" he replied. Kari sighed quietly.

"Oh well. I guess that isn't a surprise. You did say this was only temporary, after all. But it has been nice to finally have it confirmed, that Yuma isn't schizophrenic or anything. What I mean to say is, it has been nice to meet you, properly. I trust that you're still gonna be with us, even if we can't see you?" she said and again, Astral nodded.

"As long as Yuma has the key, that is as long as I shall be here, with him. And all of you, too" he replied, and Kari smiled. "Good to know. He could sure use the support!" she commented, before moving to the door. As she was about to leave, she turned around and looked at them.

"Well, as I mentioned, there's lunch if you'd like any" she said and then she was gone, the door closing behind her.

Yuma sighed, lowering his head, as he let his hand close around the golden key that hung against his chest.

"Yuma?" Astral said questioningly and Yuma swallowed.

"I'm fine Astral. Don't worry" he replied and Astral shook his head softly. He most certainly was not. But if Yuma did not want to talk about it, Astral would not push him.

"You should get something to eat Yuma. You must be hungry by now" the alien said instead, and Yuma nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I guess" he replied.

"Let's go then" he added and as Astral nodded, Yuma let go of the key again and the two, moved downstairs… 

* * *

He heard the sirens from far away.

They were distant and yet, it felt like they were very close by as well.

He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't.

He could feel that his pants were wet and that his whole body felt like it was on fire. He felt himself shaking and his head was aching. Then came the nausea, rising through him so fast, he had no time to even think of why.

He rolled onto his side and felt the vomit shooting out of him. Heard it splashing against the floor.

As he moved onto his back again, he attempted to move a hand to wipe the bile from his mouth, but found that he couldn't.

Then he heard voices, faint, but professional.

"Floor it Dylin. He's bleeding internally!" a male voice said, and another responded, "blood in his emesis?".

"Affirmative. And he's still seizuring as well. I already gave him two dosages to attempt to stop it, but it isn't working much! I'm afraid we could be losing him".

Then he felt hands touching him.

Pressure around one of his arms.

Pain, all over.

"I'd give him more morphine, but with how sick he is already, and considering the blood, I'm not going to. Let the hospital know of the change in his condition".

It was the first voice again.

He heard what sounded like a radio, followed by another voice.

Then everything went black and he heard no more…


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **A/N: Time for a new chapter everyone! :)**

 **Sorry (not ;)** **) about the cliffhanger I ended the last chapter with. I hope you will all enjoy the coming chapters, as much as you have (hopefully) enjoyed those that have been published so far :D**

 **It is because of all you readers, followers, favers and reviewers, that I can continue this story!**

 **So, THANK YOU to every one of you! I hope you will stick with the story in the future as well! (^_^)**

 **This is a short chapter, BUT, to make up for this, I promise that this time, I will update the story again in just a few days, so you won't have to wait a whole week ;)**

 **Now, without further ado, Chapter 18! :D**

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He opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt, and he felt sick. In truth, his whole body was aching, and he could feel that many of his muscles were twitching. Eyes half open, he glanced around him.

White. Everything was white.

He couldn't hear any voices, just a constant beeping and something that sounded like dripping.

"Yuma! Yuma, can you hear me?!".

A voice. Very familiar.

"To…ri" he mumbled, voice raw and hoarse. It hurt to speak, so dry did his mouth and throat feel. He could taste blood.

"Oh, thank God you're awake! Nurse! NURSE!" Tori yelled, and Yuma could hear that she was crying.

"Tori… where… am I?" he asked, turning his head just enough to see her, though the motion only served to worsen his nausea.

"Heartland Hospital. You're in a really bad state Yuma" she replied, but then she was pushed out of the way as a woman in a nurses' uniform entered his line of sight instead.

"Tsukumo, can you hear me?" she asked, leaning in over him. He nodded weakly.

"Yes" he replied.

"That is good. So, you are back with us again. I am certain your family will be relieved to hear that" she continued, as she started examining him and various things which he couldn't see.

"I'm gonna go outside and call them now. Let them know he's finally awake again. I'll be right back" he heard Tori say, and then he heard her footsteps as she left.

"Miss… thirsty" Yuma said hoarsely, and the nurse came back into view.

"Would you like some water?" she asked, and Yuma nodded. "Alright. I'll help you up then. But you mustn't move too much. You have serious internal injuries and they are still in danger of bleeding again" the nurse replied.

Then she slowly helped Yuma up into a semi-seated position, but before she could put the glass to his lips, vomit rose in his throat again and the nurse, sensing what was coming, quickly grabbed a bowl and held it out for him to use, completely professional, as he did so.

When it seemed like he was done for now, she offered him the water, which he used to rinse his mouth, then to spit out the water in the bowl as well. As he did, he noticed that his vomit was brown and that it even seemed to have some red in it as well, which immediately made him pale further, as cold-sweat sprang forth on his brow.

Putting the bowl away, the nurse offered Yuma the water again and despite just having thrown up, he emptied the rest of the glass before the nurse helped him lie down again.

Once he was relaxed once more, the nurse started taking his blood-pressure, as well as other things, as she spoke gently.

"I imagine you're feeling quite lost at the moment. About where you are, how you got here, why and for how long. I'd like to answer some of those questions, so that you don't have to think about them, but can focus on resting.

First of all, you're in the ICU of Heartland Hospital, in a solo room, due to the seriousness of your condition.

I am Tanima Yuri, but I prefer being called Tanima. I think you'll want to know my name, seeing as I'm assigned to you first of all, whilst you are here in the ICU.

According to Doctor Kazuya, you will be here for a while.

You were brought in with ambulance three days ago, with injuries and symptoms resembling those which people, who have been hit by lightning, experience, though yours seem to be to a much more severe degree, almost as though you've been exposed to powerful electrical currents several times over, through several days.

In all honesty, everyone is quite surprised that you are alive, considering this" she said, then she hesitated for a moment as she seemed to observe him, eyes curious, but then she continued once more, checking the results of her tests on him on the same time.

"Anyways, Doctor Kazuya will be dropping by before long to take a look at you. In the meantime, you are on complete bedrest and should avoid any and all movement, if possible.

Do not worry about bathrooms. You're already set up, so it is handled automatically.

Also, you are on an IV, so please do not attempt to remove it, even if it annoys you".

She moved to the window, pulling the curtains away slightly so he could glance outside.

It was grey and gloomy, and he could hear rain, hitting the window-glass.

"You haven't been alone for even a moment whilst you've been in here by the way. If your family hasn't been here, one or more of your friends have.

I'm a little curious about one of them.

I see him in here sometimes and I swear, he's got blue skin.

But he never seems to be around for long, though I can tell through my experience, that he is really worried about you…

I've given you some medicine for your nausea. I hope it helps, because I really can't have you move around, not even to throw up.

If you do still feel sick in a bit though, let me know and I will inform the Doctor of it. Maybe he can do something more about it.

Also, you have been cleared to receive morphine, if you are in a lot of pain, but we'd prefer to mainly give you paracetamol, until we are certain it won't make you worse.

You got quite sick in the ambulance, when they gave it to you there, so we're keeping a very close eye on you.

I expect your friend, Tori, will be back soon. So, if you need anything, you can use that button on your bedframe. It should be within reach without you having to move much, or you can have Tori push it for you, so you don't have to move at all. I'll be back to check on you in a little bit.

There's more water on the bedside table, if you'd like more. Have Tori help you with it, if I am not here, okay?".

With that, she silenced, and once Yuma had nodded his understanding, she send him a smile, before leaving the room.

A few minutes later, Tori came back, just as the nurse had said.

Once she was, she pulled a chair over to Yumas bedside and boldly took the hand closest to her. "Kari and Haru were really relieved to hear that you were awake. They'll be heading here soon. In the meantime, the nurse says you should sleep a bit Yuma.

Don't worry, if I'm not here when you wake up, someone else will be, so you're not gonna be alone for more than a bit, once in a while. Is there anything you'd like to know, that I might be able to tell you?" she asked, looking at him with shimmering eyes.

"As… tral… Where is…he?" he asked, and Tori swallowed, lowering her eyes.

Yuma could feel the golden key against his skin, but the fact that the nurse had spoken of a blue-skinned visitor that seemed to never stay for long, although he appeared really worried about him, combined with the fact that Yuma couldn't see, nor feel, him at the moment, had him scared and he couldn't sleep until he knew more.

"He… he isn't around much. I think he spends most of his time in the key, though I thought he couldn't, when he was still solid. Maybe he doesn't have a choice. I mean, it does work as a form of hospital for him after all, at least I think it does…" she said, looking thoughtful.

"Why?" Yuma asked weakly.

Tori glanced at him briefly, then lowered her eyes to their hands again, before she replied.

"He… he's really weak Yuma… Whenever I DO see him, he looks just like when you were gathering the numbers and you were losing badly. Like he's… fading, somehow. I'm not sure why…".

"WHAT?!" Yuma exclaimed and nearly shot up in the bed, but Tori pushed him down before he could do so.

"You have to stay still Yuma! Or you'll start to bleed badly again!" she said, afraid.

Yuma coughed for a while, but then swallowed and moved his free hand to the key, closing his fingers around it tightly as he also closed his eyes, to focus better.

"Astral" he then called "please, Astral. Can you… hear me?".

And then he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Yu… ma" came the faintest of answers then, across their bond, and he felt the alien reach out to him, though his presence seemed barely there.

"You're… awake" the alien added, but then no more words came. Only a feeling of cold and weakness.

"Oh no! Astral!" Yuma cried out, jolting in Toris' grasp once more, though she kept him relatively still.

"Yuma, what is it?!" she asked, worried, looking at him.

"It's Astral… He's so weak! And it's MY fault" the young man replied, cursing to himself and turning his head away from her, still grasping the key tightly.

"How can it be YOUR fault Yuma? Didn't you just help him through some stuff a week ago?

Wait, is that… why you're ill? Because of what you helped HIM with?!" Tori asked, looking confused.

Yuma hesitated, looking thoughtful.

Considering what the nurse said, it seemed a reasonable enough theory that Astrals time, and what went down throughout that week, might be what had caused Yumas injuries.

If it was, Yuma knew Astral might be distancing himself from him, out of guilt.

And because Yuma was so severely weakened, Astral too, was affected.

His life-force was, after all, tied closely to that of Yuma.

But they couldn't guilt out on one another again, like they did back then.

Yuma calculated that that had to have been about 5, maybe 6, days ago if he'd been in the hospital for three. It would only harm them both, and their bond as well, were they to do that.

So, Yuma had to speak with Astral, as soon as possible. But with him as weak as he was now, how could he? If he was so weak he had to stay inside the key… But wait. Hadn't Tori said something about him still being solid? And that she wondered how he could be inside the key when that was the case?

If she was right, then it was true. Astral himself had told Yuma that being inside the key when he was in solid form, was painful, because it would constantly be trying to return him to his natural, translucent state.

Was the alien trying to punish himself by suffering in silence within the key? Or was it truly necessary for him to remain in it, not to fade?

Yuma wish he had known, but he didn't. And Astrals presence in his mind, had retreated to a barely sensible level.

"Yuma?" Tori said questioningly, and Yuma shook his head softly, returning to the presence.

"Sorry Tori… I'm… really tired" he said, and pulling the duvet closer around himself, he showed her that he couldn't talk right now.

He turned his head away from her and closed his eyes, holding the key tightly in hand, beneath the soft fabric which now covered him.

He heard Tori sigh, but then she said, "alright Yuma… Get some rest" and the room fell silent…


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **A/N: Hello everyone! :D**

 **As promised, I'm back with another chapter! (^_^)**

 **Enjoy! :)**

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There was someone there, beside him. It was a presence. Tender, warm.

He felt a gentle touch on his forehead and slowly, he opened his eyes.

He noticed the darkness first and glanced at the window.

It was nighttime, but there were so many lights on in the city, that he could barely see any stars.

Then he heard the soft moan beside him and turned his head to look at its origin.

"Astral!" he gasped, as he saw the golden and silver eyes right beside him, lying in the bed with him.

Immediately, he turned onto his side, though it made his stomach burn, to look at him properly.

"Astral, I've been so worried about you… I haven't seen you at all. How are you?" he asked, ignoring his own discomfort, in favor of inquiring about his lover.

"Do not worry about me, my love" Astral replied "focus on yourself".

The second he finished though, he moaned and moved into something close to fetal position.

Yuma did not feel anything coming from him and frowned.

"Are you… in pain?" he asked, placing a hand on the others shoulder. Astral nodded weakly.

"Yes… but do not think about me Yuma, I will be… okay" he whispered faintly.

Yuma kept his eyes locked on him for a while, then suddenly he spoke.

"Tori said you were fading… I can see that she's right. Yet, I can't feel anything from you. Barely even that you're alive. Why not?" he asked.

"I can handle myself. I'm safe, inside the key" Astral replied, but then he whimpered again, and Yuma inched a little bit closer to him.

"Tori also said that you are still solid, when you aren't disappearing.

So then, how can you claim to be safe in the key?

Doing your time, you told me that it would try to revert you back to your original form.

So, how can you remain inside it now, if you are still, technically, solid?" he asked.

At first, Astral didn't reply. But then he finally spoke.

"I have no choice. Even if it pains me, it is the only reason for why I still exist. I assume you understand why" he said.

"I don't want you to suffer. There must be something else we can do to aid you. I know why you are fading. It is because I am ill, isn't it? Because your lifeforce, is tied to mine" Yuma commented and Astral sighed. Then he nodded.

"You know it is" he whispered "so please, just focus on getting better yourself. If you do, then I too, will improve.

I should return to the key now. I am so glad you are awake at last. I couldn't reach you at all. Everything was dark and… so lonely".

At his last words, his voice faded away and Yuma noticed that he was withdrawing from him, in preparation to get back into the key. Before he could get far though, Yuma grabbed his arm.

"Wait!" he said "I… I don't want you to suffer… Couldn't you… stay with me? Right here, beside me? Wouldn't that help you?".

Astrals eyes locked on his for several intense seconds. Then he slowly spoke.

"Here… with you?" he said "but… we are in public. And your friends and family are always represented here. Yet you are asking me to… share the bed with you? Even though we will undoubtedly be seen?".

Yuma nodded. "Yes. I am. I love you Astral. I don't care if we're seen. I think my family have a pretty good idea already, and my friends…

Well, they'll probably just think it's because we're so close. Except for Tori… She might" he said, but then broke off with a small sigh.

Her jealousy really wasn't fair to Astral. Neither one of the two halves, could help how they felt.

"I cannot deny that being able to remain near you, might aid me somewhat. The key helps me as well, but it is true that remaining inside it for hours at a time, also pains me a great deal.

Toris' observation is correct. I am, theoretically, still solid even though it has been almost a weak since my time passed. It troubles me, for I do not know why this is the case.

For the moment though, I am afraid I am translucent, more often than solid" Astral said quietly, deciding not to comment on Yumas last words.

"So then… you'll stay?" the young man asked and Astral, still with his eyes on those of his partner, send Yuma a small smile and nodded.

"I would like to… If you will be alright? I do not wish to intrude upon you or make you uncomfortable" he said.

"You won't Astral. You could never do that… There's plenty of room for both of us… Come" Yuma replied, moving the duvet aside so that Astral could crawl under it.

As he did, Yuma rolled onto his back, because lying on his side was getting too painful, and then moved out an arm so Astral could settle comfortably against him.

The alien wasn't late in placing himself as close to Yuma as he possibly could, resting a hand on the others chest so that he could feel his heartbeat, though not daring to place his head on the humans' shoulder, afraid that it might aggravate his injuries.

Injuries which, as far as Astral had gathered from what he'd heard from the nurses and doctors tending to his partner, was caused by him.

By his time and that which Yuma had been forced to endure throughout it, to keep the blue skinned being safe.

He felt so guilty. He didn't feel that he had any right to nuzzle against Yuma like this.

He should stay away from him, so that he didn't make him even worse.

But the pleading that had seeped into Yumas voice, to his eyes, as he grabbed his arm so very weakly, and asked him to stay with him.

That, Astral just could not resist.

So, he had joined him.

He had given in to the sweet temptation of lying with Yuma again, even though this time there would be no pain, no sex, just endless love and compassion.

And company. More than anything else, there would be company.

He had barely been able to endure the loneliness he had suffered, after separating his mind and Yumas so effectively.

He had done so out of guilt. Out of self-loathing. Out of fear that he would sense every long, heartbreaking moment of his partners passing, as he himself crumbled into pieces.

It had been cowardice, but he had been completely unprepared for the sudden weakness that had overwhelmed him, once Yuma fell off that chair in school, on what Astral had thought would be his last day there.

As he'd collapsed beside the human, all he had been capable of doing was just stare at him, as he felt himself fading in and out of existence.

Yuma, who had been right there, but had been seizuring, shaking uncontrollably, as he wet his pants and seemed to not even notice what was happening.

It had only been for a few seconds, then Tori had grabbed Astral and told him to get back in to the key, before everyone realized what had happened. So that they might not even notice that he disappeared.

She had been right to do so. Had she not, and had Astral not taken her advice instinctively, he and Yuma would have been separated, just like back when Yuma was emitted to the hospital with his cold, a few years earlier.

And that, Astral would not have been able to endure.

Had he been torn from Yuma like that, he had no doubt in his mind, that he would have faded for sure.

But instead, he had come with his other half to the hospital, inside the emperors' key, which he had understood from the conversations he'd overheard between Tori and Yumas family, Tori had underlined the importance of keeping with Yuma, to the ambulance drivers when the young man was picked up by them.

A thing which Astral would forever be grateful to her for, though he did not know how to show that.

It wasn't right that he lie here. That he relax like this, against his partners warm body.

But he would, because Yuma had asked him to. And because he wanted nothing more than that, himself…

"Yuma, what the hell?!" a shrill voice sounded. Startled, Yuma opened his eyes, flinching as they were immediately met by angry ones right above him.

"Ka… Kari!" he said, surprised.

"Don't you Kari me, Yuma! What are you and Astral doing?! You're supposed to be recovering! What is he doing here?!" she replied, "in your bed!".

Yuma turned his head then, eyes wide, and looked at Astral.

The alien was still beside him, one of his arms clutching Yumas, his eyes wide and frightened as he looked at the raging Kari above them.

But before Yuma could respond, Haru came in to view.

"Oh, leave them be Kari" she said "think of how close they are. I believe this is better for them than being separated. Yuma knows not to do anything that will aggravate his injuries, and if not, then his body will surely tell him!".

With that, Kari crossed her arms over her chest, but closed her mouth and sighed.

"Yuma, how are you feeling dear boy?" Haru then asked, sending Yuma and Astral a small smile as she did. Yuma swallowed, then let out a quiet moan.

"I've been better Grandma… But… It's good to see you, both of you, again…" he said softly, smiling back, though it was only for a brief moment, before he groaned and moved a hand up to cover his eyes.

The world was spinning around him, making him dizzy, and with that dizziness, came nausea as well.

He struggled not to flip onto his side and throw up over the side of the bed.

"We couldn't stay away" Haru now commented, as Karis eyes observed him worriedly.

"Sorry I scared you" Yuma said, voice low and shaking, in his continued struggle.

"Nonsense love. I'm just glad you were brought here in time" Haru said, still smiling faintly, even though only Astral saw that, as Yuma wasn't looking at her.

Astral could feel his struggle across their bond.

His partner was fighting very hard, to remain still, despite how he felt.

Being his other half, the alien wondered if there might be something he could do to perhaps help him endure, but he did not know what.

He hadn't really experienced nausea in himself before, as he didn't have the digestive system which the humans did, but he knew what it was, having felt it on a few occasions, when he and Yuma were one.

The young man tended to get quite nauseous when he was very tired, which he had been many times before, when the two had been pushed so far, that they'd had to merge into ZEXAL.

Still, that it was so hard for the other to contain it now, that even Astral was affected by it, despite them not being morphed, was quite disconcerting.

He wanted to at least offer his support, so after a bit, he lifted himself up on an arm and, placing his other hand on Yumas chest ever so lightly, focused his eyes on his partner and said "easy Yuma. Deep breaths, remember. That usually helps you".

As he moved, both Haru and Kari looked at him with surprise, as though they had been completely oblivious to Yumas current struggle.

They didn't speak though, just moved their eyes from Astral to Yuma, to see if he listened.

Yuma swallowed hard, tasting bile, but hearing Astrals voice and feeling the hand on his chest, he finally gasped before focusing properly on his breathing, synching it with that which he could hear from his lover.

It helped. After a few minutes, the nausea receded somewhat, and Yuma moved the hand from his eyes and send a grateful look to his other half.

"Thanks" he mumbled weakly and Astral nodded, then groaned quietly and lay back down once more.

He was fading again. He felt it clearly.

Should he go back into the key? Or would his condition improve, so long as he just remained near his beloved?

"Feeling nauseous Yuma?" Kari asked, voice surprisingly tender for her, as she sat down on the edge of her brothers' hospital bed and looked at him.

Yuma just nodded weakly, as he looked at Astral beside him with anxiety and pity.

He was disappearing again, solid, then transparent, then solid again, though the periods of transparency were the longest ones.

If only there was something Yuma could do but knowing that the aliens' weakness was due to his own, he couldn't help him except if he himself got better.

The nurse from before came in to the room. Seeing those assembled there, she sighed softly, then said "my apologies everyone, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave us for a bit. I need to run some tests on Yuma, and we need privacy for it".

When she saw the blue creature beside Yuma in the bed, she frowned.

"You're the one I've been seeing about occasionally, aren't you? May I ask what you are doing in my patients' bed?" she asked.

Astral turned his head to answer, but he felt so weak, that only a faint moan escaped him, as he shivered against his partner.

"Astral…" Yuma said in a low, troubled voice, which made the frown on the nurses' face, deepen.

Approaching the bed, she crouched down beside it, so that she could take a proper look at Astral.

"You don't look too good… Perhaps it could be that I have two patients here and not just one?" she said softly, and Yumas eyes widened with surprise.

Astral wasn't exactly regular-looking, and yet she didn't seem frightened by him or put-off with his… special, complexion or the other markings on his body.

No, she seemed… curious, and worried.

Moving a hand, she placed it softly on Astrals shoulder, making the alien jolt and inch as close to Yuma as he possible could, clutching his arm, hiding his face by his partners neck.

The nurse noticed his strange reaction, but also his shivering, and sighing softly, she rose again, though her eyes were still on both of them.

"I am afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave as well. Unless you're a patient, you can't be here outside visiting hours".

"No, please!" Yuma gasped, shooting up in the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around Astral, even though it made him gasp with pain and made cold sweat spring forth on every inch of skin.

"Please, don't make him leave. He must stay here! Please, don't send him away Tanima!" he cried out, weakly and with pain obvious in his voice.

"Yu…ma!" Astral moaned, barely audible, in his grasp.

He barely solidified anymore, in between his waves of being all but gone. He turned less see-through, but not solid. It was a VERY bad sign.

And even as he thought that, he felt himself getting overwhelmingly tired, not even able to keep his eyes open anymore and Yuma found his hands no longer holding anything with substance, even as he could still see Astral.

Instinctively, he reached out across their bond, opening his mind fully to better utilize it, but he couldn't sense Astrals end of it.

It was like he was already gone.

This thought made Yumas heart ache painfully, and he felt as though the world was crumbling around him, his mind falling to pieces right then and there.

And without a sound, tears started streaming down his cheeks, Yuma completely incapable of stopping them, or even of a mind to try to do so.

He was shaking visibly now and Tanima too, noticed these sudden changes in both him and the blue being in his arms.

Desperate, her eyes darted to the heartrate-monitor which Yuma was hooked up to and even as she looked at it, she could see the numbers on it crashing dangerously.

Frightened, her eyes now widened as they locked on her patient.

"Alright! Alright, I won't! I won't ever send… whatever it is, away! But Tsukumo, you MUST lie back down! And stop aggravating your already life-threatening injuries!

There is a reason for why you are in the ICU. Please, listen to me!" she said and as her eyes locked on the dim, red ones of Yuma, she felt her stomach twisting with pity in a way she hadn't tried before, in regard to a patient.

There was something about this particular one, and the blue being who was with him.

They were special, much like she and her husband was, though she felt it was in an entirely different way.

For a long while, their eyes remained locked, as though the young man was testing her to see if she meant what she'd said.

But then his eyes closed, a low moan escaped him, and he collapsed back in the bed, his arms still around the blue being, though Tanima could see that Yuma had fainted.

"Yuma! YUMA!" his sister, Kari, cried out, rushing towards the bed.

"I'm sorry, but the two of you really must leave now. You can wait in the usual place. I will inform you when you can return. Now, go!" Tanima broke in, stopping her.

The young woman and the grandmother nodded and then, with a last look at the ones in the bed, they left.

Once they were gone, Tanima got to work immediately.

She paged Kazuya, and then emptied the catheter-bag on the side of her patients' bed, noticing the color of the urine was redder than it should be, before she moved around to prepare the doctors arrival.

Astral, though barely conscious, saw her moving about busily and heard the change in rhythm of the steady beeps that signaled Yumas heartbeat, as it was monitored on that strange machine on the wall above them.

He heard that it picked up speed, and then he heard the bustle as someone came into the room.

Then he heard no more…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **A/N: Greetings everyone! Oh my, 20 chapters!? OoO And there's still some more to come! :D I hope I still have some followers out there! :)**

 **As always, enjoy! And please, don't forget to voice your thoughts about the story, with a review! :)**

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"… it seems even worse off than Tsukumo. But I can't identify it. I have never seen anything like it before, and it worries me, because it appears as though, every time our young patient takes a turn for the worse, this one follows suit right after.

And that in turn, seems to make Tsukumo even worse too. It's like a vicious cycle, and I don't know how to stop it. It worries me, very much".

"Now, now Yuri, we'll find a way, trust me. It's not like we're unfamiliar with these things ourselves after all.

I can only assume, from what you have observed, that these two are bound together in some way, and so, if we can stabilize one of them, in this case Tsukumo, the other might also improve. And if it improves, so will Tsukumo.

So really, we just have to keep doing our jobs, to the best of our abilities. And remember, we cannot separate the two of them, for anything in the world.

Obviously, doing so might result in very dire consequences, so keep them together. I'm gonna examine the most recent samples you have provided me with and then I'll come back.

It will be some hours though, so I entrust their well-being to you in the meantime.

Please, attempt to make Yuma stay still. The blood in his urine shows us that he's most certainly not out of the woods yet. We may still lose him, if we aren't careful".

"What should I tell his family?".

"Tell him that he is in the best of hands possible and that we will do everything within our power, to aid both of them".

A sigh. Shuffling of cloth against cloth. Then the sound of footsteps leaving and a door closing.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

He felt nothing beside him, and frightened, he turned his head hazily, wanting only to see one specific thing. With a low moan, he finally did.

"As…tral" he whispered, barely audibly, as he moved a very heavy hand and caressed the side of his lovers' cheek.

The alien was unconscious, but he did not seem to be fading anymore, although he remained very translucent.

Yuma could feel his skin against the palm of his hand, real skin, that could be touched. Which meant that Astral wasn't gone. Not yet.

Opening his mind and reaching for him across their bond again, he felt his heart leap with joy as he, faster than last time, located Astrals end of their connection and his mind and spirit latched on to it, drinking in its steady presence, as though it was something he'd been thirsting for, for weeks.

"You're alive" he whispered.

Astral was alive, and they hadn't been separated.

The coolness of the key, still rested against his chest and it calmed him.

He wasn't alone. He hadn't lost him.

The two halves, were still together.

"Ah, you're awake".

The female voice again, the one he'd heard just before, when he was coming around. Tanima, the nurse. She came into his vies and he groaned quietly, feeling like he wanted to drag Astral so close to himself, that there was no way she'd be able to take him away.

"Don't worry. Your Doctor has accepted that your friend is staying. He's taken it on as a patient too" the nurse said, looking down at him.

"Astral" Yuma moaned, voice hoarse. He felt very thirsty. "His name… is Astral".

"Astral. Very well then, we'll remember that. I'm gonna inform the nurse that tends to you when I'm off duty, about this new arrangement as well. So that she won't separate the two of you either" Tanima responded, smiling softly.

After a bit, she asked "would you like a little water? Maybe some food?".

"Water, please" Yuma replied and Tanima nodded.

"Alright, here you go" she said, holding out a glass of water with a straw in it. "I'm going to tip the bed slightly, to make it easier for you to drink. But you can't move. Understood?".

Yuma nodded.

"Good" the nurse said, then moved to do as she'd said she would.

Once Yuma had half-emptied the glass of water he'd been offered, he sighed quietly and moistened his lips.

"Thank you… for understanding" he said, voice less hoarse than earlier, now that his throat wasn't as parched as before, though it was still only a little higher than a whisper.

Tanima send him a small smile. "Your friend seems better" she said "at least, I think he does. He's not disappearing, like he was when you passed out, which I assume is a good thing, right?" she said.

Yuma nodded and smiled back, ever so faintly.

"Yeah, it is. If he disappears, then that means he di...".

His voice faded at that and he couldn't continue, tears again gathering in his eyes. Why was he crying all the time?! He was 17!

The nurse didn't press the matter further though, understanding that it was painful for him to talk about and not wanting to worsen his condition once more.

"Well then, I guess we'll just need to keep an eye on him as well, won't we?" she said, winking at him to cheer him up, before she moved around the bed to grab something on the side of it.

When Yuma saw what it was, he blushed crimson and felt his heart begin to race, as well as his temperature rising, in his embarrassment.

As the nurse looked at him, he quickly lowered his eyes and as so, he didn't see the gentle smile which played on her lips.

"Don't be embarrassed Yuma" Tanima said softly "I'm a professional, so I'm used to working with these things".

"But, but" Yuma stuttered "it's… that's… Have my friends and family seen that?".

Tanima shook her head.

"Your friends, no. But your family has. They felt sorry for you, more than anything else, but they understood the need for it. As you were unconscious for three days, we had to lay in a catheter, but don't worry.

When your condition improves, we'll be removing it again and then you'll need to get used to going to the bathroom on your own once more.

That may require a bit of training, but I will be helping you with it, so you will be fine before you are send home again" she replied, still smiling softly.

Yumas cheeks were still red, but he too saw the need for it. It was definitely better than the alternatives!

"Doctor Kazuya has requested that you eat proper food as soon as you are up for it again, to help your stomach heal.

However, your exposure to whatever electrical source caused you to end up like this, has done some very serious damage to your organs and your skin too.

It might be a little early for you to start on rice or meat again, but if you'd like some soup, I can get it for you?" Tanima now asked, but Yuma shook his head.

"I'm not hungry…" he mumbled, just as he started swallowing rapidly several times in succession.

When he moved in an attempt to get his head away from the duvet, Tanima quickly held a bowl out to him and a split second later, the sound of liquid hitting metal, echoed in the room.

The nurse held a hand against his forehead, feeling that his skin was clammy and almost burningly hot, as he finished emptying out the next to non-existent content of his stomach into the offered bowl.

When he seemed done, she once more offered him water to clear his mouth with and when he had, she helped him lie properly back in the bed once more.

Now he was shivering, she noticed, and the liquid from his stomach was still grimly colored.

Adjusting the IV drip, she sighed softly, upon noticing that the young man seemed to have fallen asleep. His vitals were steady, and his breathing indicated that for once, he at least wasn't unconscious.

"This recovery will take a very long time indeed it seems" she said softly, before she headed into the hallway, to inform Yumas family of the newest developments in his condition…

For the next many days, Yumas condition changed constantly. One day, it would be improving, the next day deteriorating again.

And never once doing this period of time, were there any certainty that he would pull through.

But then finally, on the 11th day of his stay, Doctor Kazuya could bring Kari and Haru some good news.

"I believe that Yuma is going to make it" he said "if his condition improves further through the day and night, I will be moving him out of the ICU tomorrow.

He will have to remain in the hospital for at least another week though, until we know of any potentially permanent damage".

"Oh, thank goodness" Haru replied, placing a hand over her chest as though in pain.

"Are you okay grandma?" Kari asked, looking at her.

"Yes sweetie, I'm fine. I'm just relieved is all" she replied, and the two women send one another a smile.

Then Kari looked at the doctor again.

"Doctor Kazuya, about the room my little brother is going to be moved in to… Considering that Astral will have to remain with him, and the fact that he is… special" she started, but then Kazuya raised an arm and stopped her.

"A private room will be arranged for him Miss Tsukumo, do not worry. In fact, considering the severity of his condition and the things he will still need to re-train again, he's even getting one with an attached bathroom.

And Tanima will move from the ICU with him and stay as his primary nurse, until we can send him home" he said gently, sending them a small, yet professional, smile.

"How come you are so open to this?" Kari asked suspiciously, but Kazuya just continued to smile.

"Yuma is special. So is Astral. They seem to have friends in pretty high places.

In fact, Dr. Faker personally paid for him to have any and all of the best comforts we could offer him. So you don't have to worry about that either" he replied.

"That's awfully nice of him" Kari said, looking very disapproving.

"Come now Kari" Haru said, looking at her. "Dr. Faker and his sons are very close friends to us all, including Yuma and Astral. I think its sweet of them to want to help us, knowing that Kazuma and Mira can't be reached right now".

Kari sighed. "I guess" she said "so, can we go see him again now Doctor?".

Kazuya nodded. "I'm coming with you. I want to tell Yuma what we have decided upon as well" he replied and with that, he threw out an arm, inviting Kari and Haru to enter Yumas room first…

"Astral, how are you feeling?" Yuma asked, looking at his alien.

Astral was lying beside him, head on his chest, as they watched a bit of TV.

Yuma was supposed to be doing homework, but he was feeling too tired for it right now.

They'd finally been moved out of the ICU and to a private room downstairs.

Tanima was still tending to them, pleased with how Yuma seemed to have improved over the last couple of days.

He was still weak, and most of his numbers definitely weren't back to normal yet, but he was no longer in any immediate, life-threatening danger, which had her smiling.

In the past weeks, she'd taken a liking to the young man and his strange friend, so she was happy that Doctor Kazuya believed he'd make a full recovery in due time.

"Not good, I'm afraid Yuma" Astral replied, clutching at his arm "but at least for now, I am strong enough to remain more solid, than transparent. And that is a good thing, after all".

"Sorry…" Yuma said quietly "if only I could get better faster".

"You are struggling enough, just staying alive my love. I do not blame you. If it wasn't for me, you would not have gotten ill in the first place, after all" the blue alien responded, sighing against his human partner.

Just then, the door to the ward was opened and the nurse, Tanima, entered, pushing a cart with some food on it, in front of her.

She sent them a smile as she saw that they were both awake. "Hello Yuma, Astral. Good to see that both of you are conscious. How are you feeling?" she asked them, as she came in.

"Tired" Astral replied.

"Hey Tanima" was Yumas words, and he continued "my head is killing me, but other than that, I feel better than yesterday".

"Would you like some painkillers for it?" Tanima asked, looking at him with serious eyes.

Yuma nodded. "Yeah, I think I'd like that… But… I'm not sure if I can keep them down" he replied.

Tanima walked over to him, placing a hand on his forehead. "You're still quite feverish. Are you also nauseous?" she asked.

Again, Yuma nodded.

"Hmm…" the nurse said, as she removed her hand again "maybe some food will help? You haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon after all".

"I… didn't have any appetite" Yuma replied, lowering his eyes and swallowing hard as he heard the word 'food' mentioned.

"I know, Tsukumo. But Doctor Kazuya is very strict with getting you to eat proper food again. Your body needs it.

But we'll start small, with some yoghurt and a bit of vegetables.

Unfortunately, I must insist that you keep eating until you can keep it down. It might be quite the hard-fought victory… I hope you are up for it" Tanima said, looking at him with grave eyes.

"Not really" Yuma mumbled, tasting bile, though he forced himself to ignore it.

He had been throwing up so much for the past week, that his throat hurt from it and his stomach felt like a large, empty hole in him

The thought of food alone, made him sick, but at the moment, his stomach was quite empty, so even though it flipped a couple of times, it didn't turn inside out.

"Well, that's just too bad Tsukumo. You're going to have to take up the challenge" Tanima responded, before she looked at Astral.

"What about you Astral? Would you like some food today?" she asked.

The blue being hadn't consumed any food or drink in all the time he'd spend in the hospital, but considering his complexion, Tanima assumed it was because he didn't need to, unlike normal human beings.

She still asked every time she came to give some to Yuma though, out of politeness more than anything.

Astral seemed to hesitate for a moment, before he shook his head.

"Oh, alright then. I hope I can still count on you helping me get your friend to eat something though" Tanima said, sending Astral a small smile.

Then she went about putting some yoghurt into a bowl, finding a spoon and a bigger bowl, and then she moved to sit down on the opposite side of the bed, from where Astral lay, so she wouldn't be bothering him.

"Alright Yuma. This bowl is for if you feel sick. I'm gonna hold it up to you if you need it, so don't worry. Now, let's get started".

With that, she handed Yuma the smaller bowl with the yoghurt in it, having asked him if he'd rather hold it and eat from it without help, which he had said yes to, blushing fiercely.

He'd been fed more than enough through the past weeks and it seemed she wasn't going to let him off the hook this time, no matter what.

He didn't want to eat, but it seemed he had little choice. So, slowly, he took the first spoonful to his mouth…

In the end, Yuma struggled with keeping anything down for the first half an hour.

But then, finally, with a combination of yoghurt and peach, he managed to keep some solid food down for more than a few minutes.

"There we go, well done Tsukumo" Tanima praised him, once he had succeeded.

Astral too, smiled as he sat beside him, and squeezed his arm softly.

"Just like you, never to give up" the alien said tenderly and then he moved to kiss Yumas temple briefly.

"Thanks" Yuma mumbled, looking pale and with beads of cold-sweat, covering his skin.

"You should eat a bit more" the nurse said, cutting up some more peach. Yuma did as he was asked, but when the yoghurt bowl was empty, he said stop.

"I don't think I want any more right now" he said faintly and Tanima nodded.

"That's fine Tsukumo. You had quite a lot" she said gently and placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder for a moment, sending him a smile, before she rose.

"I'm gonna get this cleaned away, alright?" she said and left with the bowl Yuma had been sick in several times, as well as the one which had contained the yoghurt.

Whilst she was away cleaning them, Yuma looked at Astral, taking his hand.

"Will you be alright Astral? You look really pale, even for you" he asked tenderly, moving the hand so that he could kiss it reverently.

Astral swallowed, moistening his lips, before unconsciously placing a hand over his stomach, before he nodded.

"I'll be fine, as long as you keep getting better" he replied, but then suddenly, a low growl was heard, and Yuma frowned.

"What… was that?" he asked, knowing that it wasn't him that was the cause of it.

Astral looked confused and somewhat startled.

"I… I am not certain" he responded.

Then Yuma spotted the aliens hand, resting on his stomach.

"Wait a minute" he said slowly "Astral… Can it be? Are you… hungry?".

His voice was surprised and more than a little curious.

"No" Astral replied "I can't be… I don't need food to sustain my energy, unlike you. I do not have a digestive system, as you do. So, me being hungry… It cannot logically be the case".

But then another growl was heard, somewhat louder this time, and a slightly pained expression crossed the blue beings face.

"Are you suuuuureeeee?" Yuma said teasingly, smiling widely for the first time in days.

His smile lit up the room like bright light before Astrals eyes and resounded within the alien himself, who couldn't help but smile as well.

That smile. He loved it so much. If he could have only one thing in the whole universe, it would be to see Yuma smile like that, every day.

"Well, I should be" the alien said, as if to himself, looking thoughtful.

"Hey, why don't you try a little food? Maybe a piece of peach, for starters. See what happens?" Yuma said, still smiling.

"Well… I suppose trying just a bite, couldn't harm me?" Astral replied, swayed to attempt it primarily by the radiant smile of his partner.

Yuma grinned, then reached out for the plate of cut peach, offering it to Astral.

Hesitantly, Astral took a small piece and Yuma observed his lovers features as the other took the fruit to his nose, sniffing in its scent first, looking consumed in what he was doing.

Then he put the bite in his mouth, closing his lips around it.

As he started chewing, very slowly, Yuma noticed every minor change in his expression and the way his cheeks moved, as the blue being tasted food with his own body, for the first time ever.

"So… Do you like it?" Yuma asked after a few minutes and Astral nodded.

"I… I do" he replied, sounding surprised at his own realization, even as he reached out for another piece and immediately put it in his mouth.

When he'd taken a few more bites, he looked at Yuma and asked "do you want any more of it?".

Yuma shook his head. "No, I'm good, thanks" he replied and handed the plate to Astral, adding a "why don't you take it all? It might even make you feel better.

Food often helps me recover energy when I'm feeling weakened, but you already know that after all" as Astral took the plate and placed it in his lap, continuously snacking on the sweet and juicy fruit pieces.

Just then, Tanima came back in, and upon seeing Astral eating, she smiled widely at the two of them.

"What's this?" she said, soft laughter in her voice "is our mysterious blue patient actually consuming normal, human food?".

Astral, startled, blushed at her words and attempted to hide the plate of peach beneath the duvet, though without success.

"Relax!" she added, noticing Astrals reaction. "I'm happy to see you eating a bit… Should I prepare food for two from now on?".

Yuma looked at Astral, and shyly, the alien nodded, still blushing, leaving Yuma to reply for him.

"Yes please, miss Tanima" the young man said, smiling, and the nurse nodded.

"Alright, I will then" she answered, as she then went about gathering things back on to the trolley from earlier.

Suddenly, she hesitated, turning her head to look at Astral, who had now emptied the plate of peach and was holding it out for her to take.

"Say Astral" she started "since you seem to have gotten a bit of an appetite now, would you like me to find some yoghurt for you as well?".

Astral looked at Yuma as though he was asking permission, making Yuma laugh softly.

"Don't look at me like that Astral" he said, "it's your decision".

Blinking twice, Astral then returned his eyes to the nurse.

"Yes, please, miss Tanima" he replied and Tanima nodded.

"I'll drop by with it in a little then. I just have to speak with Doctor Kazyua first" she responded and Astral nodded his agreement, as she took the plate and put it on her trolley, with the rest of the things.

"Alright then. You two get a bit of rest now and I'll be back before you know it" she then said, sending them one more smile, before she left the room, trolley in front of her…


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 **A/N: Greetings reader! I'm back after a couple of weeks of summer vacation and, although I doubt anyone is still reading this story, I am now ready with chapter 21 :D**

 **For Mara: Thank you SO MUCH for commenting on the story! I LOVE getting reviews! And sorry to have kept you waiting for a while ^^'' I'm super happy that you enjoy reading my story :D**

 **I read your comment out loud, for my brother, and had to explain to him what 'Fluff' meant – We had some good laughs with that xD So thank you! (^_^)**

 **Warning about content:** **This next chapter contains some wetting**

 **Enjoy, my (perhaps) readers! And please, don't forget to voice your thoughts about the story! :)**

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"I do not understand" Astral said quietly, talking to himself, a hand on his stomach.

"Why do I suddenly feel… hunger? And how can I process human food, when I am a being of energy? It does not make any sense!".

Groaning quietly with the frustration of not understanding, Astral pulled the duvet closer around himself, as he waited for Yuma to return.

His lover had been taken to another room by Doctor Kazuya, for additional tests.

The doctor had asked if Astral would be alright without Yuma for the brief time it would take before they came back, and though the alien had been frightened by the thought of being bereft of Yumas presence, he had nodded and said yes.

Then Yuma had left the key with him, having been told that the metal might interfere with the examinations, thus prolonging them and separating him and Astral for a longer period of time, before he'd been wheeled out by Kazuya himself.

Astral glanced up at the clock on the wall.

They had been gone for 20 minutes now. He could feel that tiredness was sneaking up on him again, but he knew he couldn't give in to it before Yuma was back at his side.

If he did, he might begin to fade again.

He was solid now, sure, and more solid than he had been, since Yuma was admitted to the hospital, but he was still weakened by Yumas continued poor health.

Several times through the past many days, he'd been all but gone.

Yuma had gone in to cardiac arrest twice, and at those occasions, Astral had felt his own imminent death crippling him, making him collapse and become transparent, without solidifying in the slightest in-between his fadings.

Thinking back on it made the blue being shiver mercilessly, and he tightened his hold on the duvet around him, closing his eyes.

"Please, come back soon Yuma" he thought, holding the key firmly in his shaking hand.

A while later, Astral moaned and placed a hand over his stomach.

It was starting to hurt again, feeling like an emptiness was spreading inside him, just like before.

Glancing around the room, the alien spotted an apple on the table beside Yumas hospital bed, and as his stomach growled loudly in response to the sight, he swallowed, moistening his lips before he moved a hand and grabbed it, the other still holding the golden key.

Cleaning the apple in the duvet, he soon took the first bite.

The apple was tart, but crisp, and very juicy. As the alien chewed in silence, his eyes just stared at the apple, not really seeing it, or anything else for that matter.

Then suddenly, the door to the room swung open and Doctor Kazuya returned with Yuma, the young man once more in a wheelchair.

He looked as though he was feeling very uncomfortable and kept shifting in the seat.

Astral lifted his head as he heard them enter and upon seeing how Yuma was acting, he put the rest of the apple back on the bedside table and rose, hovering over to his human half, leaving the duvet behind in a messy pile on the bed.

"Yuma" he said questioningly "are you… feeling alright?".

Yuma lifted his eyes and locked them on Astrals briefly, but then he shook his head.

"I need to go the bathroom, but the doctor here tells me that I can't go there alone yet. I don't want him coming along though! It's too… embarrassing" he replied, blushing and looking away, though his fidgeting seemed to get slightly worse.

"Well, what about Miss Tanima? Perhaps she could help you?" Astral tried, but Yuma shook his head rapidly.

"No. No way! She's… she's a!" he complained, but then he suddenly went completely still for a second and Astral noticed how his cheeks went from rosy to bright red.

Then his partner moaned quietly, lowering his head, before he started fidgeting again, though he didn't look at either of them.

Astral understood. The bond flared wildly in his mind and he sensed clearly, Yumas utter shame and his deep shyness.

When it came to these particular bodily functions, his partner really was an extremely private person.

"Tsukumo, if you don't let me keep an eye on you in the bathroom, you're just gonna end up having to be bathed by Tanima instead. Would you really rather have that?

You are already losing control, which isn't surprising, considering that you are only now getting back to having to take care of these things on your own, after having had a catheter in for weeks.

It will take a bit of training before you're back to normal and your muscles are also still weakened after your bedrest.

Not to mention that you're also still experiencing dizziness and fatigue. You have to be watched, at least for another week!".

"I'm fine!" Yuma exclaimed and shot up from the wheelchair.

It had been a little too fast though and seconds later, he was doubling over, and all color left his face.

As he collapsed, Astral quickly caught him, keeping him upright by sheer force of will, even as he felt himself weaken alongside Yuma.

Another flash of embarrassment struck him, and he felt how his partner tightened his grip on one of Astrals arms, which had been flung around his waist to keep him standing.

With the embarrassment came another feeling, one of urgency and desperation.

And Astral understood.

"I will go with him" he said clearly, tightening his hold around his lover.

"I will keep an eye on him and help him, if he needs it".

He felt Yumas skin heat up as he spoke, but the young man didn't move any part of his body. Didn't even lift his head to look at him.

"You? But you are yourself in a bad state! I couldn't" Kazyua started, but when Astrals gold and silver eyes locked on him, he silenced.

"Very well then… Better hurry up though Astral, or it might be too late" he instead continued after a few seconds, pointing at the floor between Yumas bare feet, where drops of liquid could be seen shimmering in the fading daylight of the setting sun.

"Yuma!" Astral said, startled "hang in there… I will take you to the bathroom. Just hold on".

At his last words, he had lowered his voice so only Yuma would hear it, knowing that his other half was already more than embarrassed enough as it was.

"I… don't think I can" Yuma whispered back, as he moved a hand to his groin and closed his fingers around a part of his white hospital gown, still without looking at any of them.

"Of course you can my love" Astral whispered in return "you're one of the most enduring people I know. You can do this".

And he placed a gentle kiss on Yumas temple, for good measure.

Then the two headed for the bathroom, which was connected to the solo room.

As they moved, Yuma occasionally groaned quietly, tightening his hold on Astrals arm around his waist for a few seconds, before he relaxed somewhat again.

Astral could feel how the other was continuously shivering. He also heard the drops hitting the floor, which usually accompanied his partners low groans, but he ignored them.

As they reached the bathroom, Astral pressed the button that opened the door and then moved the two of them inside.

As the door closed behind them, Yuma let out a loud moan and Astral felt him shaking briefly, before his other half-collapsed in his arms.

Then he heard the splashing against the floor and sighed quietly, hauling Yuma to his feet and spinning him around, before lowering him down on the toilet, moving the already soiled hospital gown out of the way as he helped his partner stay seated.

The loud hissing and splashing told Astral that Yuma had to have been extremely desperate when he lost control and he pitied the young man, thankful for the fact that he himself, didn't have to fight these urges.

Once Yuma seemed capable of keeping himself upright, Astral rose once more, from where he'd been kneeling in front of his lover and went over to the sink.

There, he found some washrags which he went about preparing with hot water and soap, keeping his eyes to himself, not wanting to humiliate Yuma further.

After a bit, the other called for him.

"Astral" he said, somewhat hesitantly and the alien turned around and looked at him.

"I… I'm sorry you have to see me like this… But… Thank you… for volunteering to help me… I don't think I could have handled it if… anyone else, had seen this happening".

Astral sighed softly, shaking his head lightly.

"It's the least I can do for you my love… I'm just happy I can be there for YOU, for once" he responded, sending Yuma a soft smile.

Yuma smiled back, but it was barely visible, and it definitely didn't radiate like usual.

"Are those washrags… for me?" he asked quietly, blushing again.

"No" Astral replied "they are for me, to use ON you".

"Wha… What do you mean?!" Yuma asked, somewhat higher pitched than earlier.

"Well" Astral said "you will need to be washed a bit after this, judging from what I heard and saw – That reminds me, I should ask the doctor for a new hospital gown for you as well – and since you are barely capable of staying on your feet, I thought I would… well, help you with that too… Like you helped me, at the end of my time".

Yumas cheeks were crimson red, and he was about to say something, but before he got the chance, Astral moved to the door to the bathroom and opened it, carefully shielding Yuma from view as best he could.

"Excuse me, Doctor Kazuya" he said, looking at the doctor who was leaning against Yumas bed, arms crossed over his chest, waiting.

As he lifted his head and looked at the alien, Astral continued.

"Do we have any more hospital gowns? We may need one".

Kazuya pushed away from the bed at that and nodded. "I'll go and find one. I'll be right back" he replied and as Astral nodded, the doctor disappeared out of the room.

So, Astral returned to Yuma, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at him.

"Would you like me to go outside for a bit or?" he asked, sensing that his partner wasn't quite done yet.

Yuma nodded faintly.

"Maybe… if you just waited right outside the door?" he said quietly, his hand clutching his hospital gown tightly, as though he was attempting to control himself.

Astral let his arms fall and nodded.

"Very well. I will be right outside. Just call, when you need me" he responded and with that, he left the room.

The door closed behind him, but it was so thin that Astral could still hear what was going on behind it, if he listened for it.

A couple of minutes later, Kazuya returned with a new set of hospital clothes.

Upon seeing Astral hovering just outside the bathroom, back to the bathroom door, he frowned.

"Why are you not with Tsukumo?" he asked, walking over to him.

"He needed a little bit of privacy" Astral replied, noticing that the trail of drops which had been left on the floor in their wake, as he and Yuma moved to the bathroom, seemed to have been cleaned away.

"But do not worry Doctor. I will still know it the moment he would be okay with me entering again… Speaking of that" he continued, silencing, and as was taking the clean cloth from Kazuya, before turning back to the door to the bathroom once more, Yumas voice could be heard from inside.

"Astral… You can come back in now… please" the young man said, sounding far younger than his age.

"I will handle things from here Doctor" Astral said over his shoulder, and Kazuya, understanding the hint, turned to leave the room once more.

"Very well then Astral. Tanima will be by soon, to take any laundry there might be and clean up a bit, if it's needed. I will check in on you again in a few hours" he said, before disappearing out of sight.

Once he was gone, Astral again pressed the button that allowed him entrance to the bathroom, and as he moved inside, he saw Yuma trying to rise from the toilet, extremely unsteady on his feet.

Placing the cloth on the table beside the sink, Astral grabbed the warm washrags from earlier, and then hovered back to Yuma, offering him an arm to help him stand.

"Will you allow me to help you wash off?" he asked softly and Yuma, though reluctantly so, nodded.

"Yes…" he said quietly, obviously still embarrassed, which Astral couldn't blame him.

"Alright" the alien said "let's get this done then, so we can get back to bed… Both of us".

Yuma leaned his back against the table at the sink, hands on the surface behind him for support, and spread his legs a bit further apart, to give Astral more room to move in.

Astral gently helped Yuma out of the hospital gown, letting it slide to the floor.

As he did, he noticed a pair of boxers on the floor, out of the corner of his eyes, and glancing at them, he clearly saw the full extent of damage that had been done to his lovers' underwear as well.

It was completely soaked through, and he could see that there were some dark spots on them too, though they weren't too bad.

Once the hospital gown was off, he glanced up at Yuma and saw that the human had closed his eyes and was biting his lip.

He was still blushing, and so Astral didn't say anything, but just went about performing the cleaning he'd said he would.

It took about 15 minutes for him to finish the washing, and wiping Yuma off with a soft towel, and once he was done, he grabbed the hospital clothing the doctor had previously given him and helped Yuma get into it, aiding him into another pair of boxers as well.

When they were finished, Yuma leaned over and claimed Astrals lips in a soft, reverent kiss.

"Thank you" he whispered, making the words echo across their bond as well.

"I love you" was Astrals reply and in those words were the clear meaning, that there was absolutely nothing to thank him for, and that he had done what he had done, out of just that. **Love**.

A little while later, Yuma started shaking and Astral placed an arm around his waist once more.

"Let us get back to bed" he said gently, and Yuma nodded.

As they exited the bathroom, they were met by Tanima, who send them a small smile.

"I'll just clean things up out here. You two get under the warm duvet again" she said and Astral nodded once, before he and Yuma started off towards the bed once more.

As they reached it, and Tanima went about cleaning the bathroom for any traces of Yumas accident, Astral helped Yuma lie down, then moaned quietly and placed a hand over his stomach, closing his eyes.

"Astral" Yuma said, voice weak "are you… alright?".

Astral shook his head. "I feel quite faint I'm afraid" he replied "and… I'm hungry".

"Hungry?" Yuma repeated, then glanced around, spotting the half-eaten apple on the bedside table, now looking brown and quite un-appetizing.

"We could ask Tanima when the next meal is – Maybe she'll be okay with giving you some food in between regular dining times" he said.

Astral swallowed. His stomach hurt, which he figured was because of hunger, and last time he'd eaten a larger meal, it had helped on his weakness as well.

So, he hoped it might this time too, as he felt like he could start fading again at any moment, despite not revealing this to his partner. He nodded.

Yuma send him a small smile. "It's gonna be alright Astral. I'm sure she won't say no" he said and took Astrals hand.

Shortly after, Tanima came back into the hospital room, a bag on one arm.

Yuma assumed it contained laundry, which made him blush again, though not as fiercely as before, but he remained focused on what he was going to ask her about.

"Excuse me, Tanima" he said "but could you perhaps get us a bit of food for Astral? He's really hungry".

The nurse looked at him, then at Astral, frowning slightly.

Yesterday, the blue creature hadn't eaten once, and now suddenly, he had a raging appetite.

But who was she to deny a patient food, when he wasn't scheduled for anything where he needed to be fasting?

"Sure" she therefor replied "would you like something more solid, like rice balls maybe?".

Yuma looked at Astral, squeezing his hand gently, to encourage him to answer.

"Yes, please" the alien answered, looking at the nurse with grateful eyes for a moment, before lowering his head again, focused on staying awake.

Tiredness had suddenly washed over him again, like it had before Yuma came back from his additional tests. It was overwhelming, and he fought hard to resist it.

His other half instantly picked up on it.

"Astral!" he gasped quietly, tightening his hold on the aliens' hand. Astral didn't reply.

"Come on, get up here beside me" Yuma then said, all but forcing Astral into the bed with him and placing an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to himself protectively.

It was obvious to him that Astral was severely weakened and he felt the old fear of losing him, stirring inside him once again.

Tanimas' frown deepened.

"The two of you better get some rest whilst I find that food. You look completely drained" she said, and Yuma nodded.

"We'll try" he replied "but please Tanima… Don't take too long, okay? I think Astral needs that food as soon as possible".

"How do you know?" she asked, curiously.

"I can feel it" Yuma replied, but that was all.

Then he focused on tightening his hold around Astral a little more, scared that he might just suddenly disappear from his arms.

Tanima looked at them for a bit longer, Astral resting his head on Yumas shoulder with closed eyes, hand on the young mans' chest, covered by one of Yumas hands, his shoulders faintly rising and sinking with his breathing.

And the deeply troubled look on the face of the 17-year-old, young man, that betrayed clearly how worried he was, for the being beside him.

Then she headed for the door and left the room to dispose of the soiled laundry, as well as find some food for her clearly ravenously hungry, blue patient…


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 **A/N: Greetings reader(s)! Happy to have you here! I'm back to attempting my once-a-week chapter updates** **I have a few more chapters written already, but I have had some writers block for the past weeks, do to planning my wedding on the 4** **th** **of August :D**

 **Still, I hope you guys enjoy the story, as always! :D**

 **Blueparakeetpark: Thank you for thinking it was sweet :)** **I'm afraid it will last a bit longer, but not too much longer, I promise**

 **Nozomi Higurashi: Thank you for taking the time to review on my story! That you thought it worth you time to review, despite how you usually feel about it, means the world to me! (^_^)**

 **Mara: Glad you're still here! :) There will (hopefully) be a happy ending, but it might take a bit** **I hope you'll stick with me until then! :)**

 _ **Warning about content: This next chapter contains descriptions (not too descriptive I hope) of natural body functions and things related to that, because Astral knows nothing xD But I promise you, most of the chapter will be adorable none the less ;)**_

 **Now then, enjoy! And please, don't forget to R &R, if you liked it! :)**

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It was the middle of the night, when Yuma woke up with a sudden sense of urgency.

Startled, he sat up in the bed with some difficulty and then took a few moments to try and evaluate where this urgency was coming from.

That's when he noticed that Astral, who had his back turned to him, was panting quietly, moving constantly, almost as though he was in pain.

Frowning, Yuma moved onto his side and placed a hand on his partners shoulder.

"Astral… Hey, Astral" he said, shaking him gently. "Are you okay?".

Astral froze for a second, but then he groaned quietly, and Yuma noticed that he was squeezing the duvet in one hand and his pillow with the other.

"Astral!" Yuma tried again, and this time, Astral turned his head enough to look at him with fearful eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?!" Yuma asked, worried now.

"I… I feel strange Yuma" the alien replied "my stomach… it… hurts".

"Where?" Yuma asked "where does it hurt. Show me".

Astral turned onto his back and then placed a hand over his lower abdomen. "Yuma…" he groaned quietly.

The room was dark, except for the lights coming in from the streetlamps outside. Do to the hour, the hospital seemed quiet and calm.

"I… I don't know what could be wrong… Should I summon a nurse?" Yuma asked, looking worried.

But Astral immediately shook his head. "No, please! They cannot treat me, if something is wrong, anyways" he replied.

"Well, then what can I do?" Yuma asked. Astral just shook his head. He didn't know.

Suddenly, a thought struck Yuma. The urgency he'd felt when he woke up. Maybe Astrals issues could be connected to that.

"Wait" he said "Astral. This pain you're feeling. What exactly does it feel like?".

Astral moaned under his breath, but then replied "like something is putting pressure on me, from the inside. I feel… heavy. Full, to the point where it hurts".

Yuma breathed a sigh of relief at that, then said "I think I know what's wrong with you".

"You do?" Astral asked "What… what is it?".

"It's been almost two days since you started eating… So, I think you should come with me for a bit" the young man said, smiling softly at the naive innocence in his lovers' eyes at that moment.

Then he rose, though he was unsteady on his feet, and offered a hand to Astral.

Though his blue-skinned boyfriend seemed very pained, the alien took the offered hand and moved out of the bed.

Once he stood though, he nearly doubled over as one of his hands instinctively shot in between his legs, which he half-crossed as well. "Oh… oh!" he groaned, closing his eyes tightly.

"Well, looks like we better hurry" Yuma said, smiling, and started pulling Astral with him towards the bathroom.

The alien stumbled after him, but with every step he groaned a little louder, until he was whimpering even when he wasn't moving.

"Come on Astral… It's just a few more steps" Yuma said encouragingly.

Astral lifted his head and looked at him, tears at the corners of his eyes.

"I… can't" he said, and then he slid to the floor with a moan, his hands on either side of his legs.

About a minute later, Yuma saw the pool of clear liquid slowly spreading beneath his partner, glimmering faintly silvery in the moonlight that could reach into the room.

"Aw man, Astral… Sorry" he said, crouching beside his lover, placing a hand on his back. Astral sighed, then leaned heavily against Yuma, head on the others shoulder.

The sound of splashing liquid was the only sound that could be heard in the room for roughly another 30 seconds, before it slowed and then finally, died out.

A few moments later, Yuma spoke in a soft voice.

"I think we need to go to the bathroom anyways, this time to get you washed off a bit" he said.

Astral swallowed. "It still... hurts" he mumbled, and Yuma rose, pulling him up with him, carefully making sure none of them stepped in the large pool that had been left by the alien.

"Then I also think, that you aren't quite done yet… Come" he said and lead Astral the last few meters into the bathroom, placing him on the toilet, and crouching down in front of him, a hand on the others thigh.

"It's a good thing you don't wear clothes in here. Makes it a lot harder to clean up after an accident like this. I should know, after all" the young man continued, cheeks faintly rosy as he'd spoken, though he was just trying his best to cheer Astral up.

"Now, if you feel like the pressure you mentioned earlier, sinks down lower, just go with it. You may feel an urge to push a bit, but don't be alarmed. That's perfectly normal. Just let your instincts lead your actions, alright?" he continued, blush deepening, although he tried to remain somewhat detached from the whole awkwardness of the situation.

Astral nodded faintly as he spoke, but when Yuma rose to give him some privacy, Astral grabbed his wrist and lifted his head, looking directly at him with large, obviously frightened, eyes.

And Yuma understood.

"It's okay Astral… I… I'll stay, if you'd like me to" he said tenderly, placing himself on his knees in front of him, keeping his head level with that of the other, as the alien bend forward slightly, to let nature take its course.

As things got going, Astral moaned under his breath, and Yuma could feel across their bond, that his lover was genuinely scared at what was happening in, and with, his body. His heart was beating rapidly, and he was panting lightly, because of his fear for the whole situation.

"Relax Astral… You're fine. This isn't dangerous. It's normal. You should know this, after having been with me for 4 years. When I have eaten something, I always have to get rid of something as well, sometime later.

It's the same for you… I'm here, so please. Calm down" Yuma said, moving so that his and Astrals foreheads were touching, and holding his partners hands in his own, for extra comfort.

"It's not normal… for me, Yuma" Astral replied in a low whisper. "None of it is… Not the eating, not… this".

"Shh, my love" Yuma replied "I know… But please, just try and accept what is happening, at least for now. It's something that none of us can change… Maybe it's just a passing thing, like your time".

"What if it isn't?" Astral responded, shivering, as if he was cold.

"Then… we'll find out what's causing it, together, like we always have" Yuma replied, kissing Astrals forehead, before resting his own against it once more, both his and Astrals eyes closed…

Once Astral didn't feel any pressure anymore, he let out a quiet, shaking breath and Yuma opened his eyes, separating slightly from him.

"Do you think you are done?" he asked gently and Astral nodded.

"I don't feel full anymore" he replied, mumbling.

"That's good… Then we need to clean you. I… I haven't really helped anyone with… wiping, before, but" Yuma said, blushing, and Astral, sensing his other halves discomfort, placed a hand on Yumas cheek and said "you don't have to tell me. Just use our bond and… show me, how it's done".

Grateful, Yuma nodded and then did as requested.

"I understand" Astral said after a bit, and Yuma rose.

"I'll find a washrag to clean your legs with once you are done. After all, you did still have that big accident earlier" he said, sending Astral a soft smile, before he moved over to the sink to do what he'd said he would.

In the meantime, Astral found himself disgusted at having to perform this 'wiping' on his own, pure body.

He hated it, but from the images Yuma had shown him, he understood its necessity.

Thus, he worked swiftly to get it over with and once he had, he moved over beside Yuma, who greeted him with yet another smile, steaming hot washrag ready in his hand.

"Would you like to do it yourself?" he asked and Astral nodded, eyes determined.

Yuma drew back a few inches at the intensity in that stare, but then handed him the rag.

"Alright… then" he said, somewhat hesitantly, and once Astral had diligently cleaned his legs and then rinsed out the washrag, Yuma wiped him off with a towel, before ditching it on the table beside the sink, and then moving back towards the door that would lead to the other part of the hospital room.

There was still a large pool near it, but Yuma felt tired and could barely stay on his feet anymore, do to fatigue, so he just stepped over it and headed straight for the bed, a hand always supporting him against one thing or another as he moved.

Behind him, Astral had recovered slightly after his new experience, and was following Yuma with his eyes, trying to determine whether he should go and help him, or attempt to clean up at least some of the mess he had, himself, made.

When Yuma safely collapsed on to the bed and got into a more comfortable position in it, back turned to him, Astral sighed softly and then decided he would remove as much of the liquid he could with what means were on hand for him.

Once he had done so, he then put the things he'd used for it, in the shower stall, for the nurse to collect in the morning.

Then he washed his hands, twice, and moved back to Yumas bedside, hovering silently beside it, indecisive.

He wasn't sure Yuma wanted his company after what his partner had just seen him doing. He himself found it disgusting and humiliating after all, so maybe it was the same for Yuma.

But then, after a few minutes, Yuma turned around and looked up at him.

"Well… are you coming back to bed or not?" he asked, moving the duvet and inviting Astral to join him beneath it.

"Are you certain you… want me to?" Astral asked and Yuma frowned.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, confused, but then he seemed to understand.

"Astral" he said, exasperatedly "nothing has changed for me. If it did, just because of something like that, then you should have left me years ago. Now, come down here, you blue idiot".

Astrals eyes widened with surprise, but then he smiled faintly and followed the order given, crawling under the duvet and moving so that his body was pushed against that of his other half, an arm around Yumas waist.

This, Astral had learned, was called spooning, and he loved it just as much as Yuma did.

The young man sighed contently as they settled in, and soon he was falling asleep once more, Astrals steady breathing behind him a constant and welcome reminder, that his lover was still very much alive and kicking, despite Yumas own weakness…

For the next couple of days, Astral attempted to adjust to his new life. Being so human suddenly, troubled him, and he wished he knew the reason for it.

But so far, he had learned nothing that might aid him in discovering what was going on with him.

Yumas condition was still improving albeit slowly, but he still had issues walking, and for this reason, a physical therapist was visiting their room twice a day.

She had done so for the past two days, but they had been told that it might take at least until the end of the week, before Yuma was back to relatively normal mobility.

Now that they were in a regular hospital room, even though it was a solo one, Yumas family and friends only visited him for a couple of hours every day, following the normal visiting hours of the hospital, but Astral and Yuma didn't much mind it.

They preferred just being the two of them, as they both remained tired and, in Yumas case, still couldn't keep much food down at a time.

Now they were alone once again and Astral had counted the days in which they had been stuck in the hospital.

22 days was what he had arrived at.

And whenever he saw Yuma struggling with one thing or another, whether it was eating, going to the bathroom or even just moving about, he still felt the guilt gnawing at his conscience, knowing that, despite everything Yuma said, HE was the reason for his partners trouble.

So, every day, he tried helping him in any way he possibly could, without seeming like he thought him weak. It appeared like Yuma didn't think much of it, which pleased Astral, as that meant he could keep doing it.

Yuma sighed. Astral glanced at him. The young man was sitting with his phone out, beside Astral in the bed. He seemed to be playing with it, but his eyes appeared somewhat distant, which made Astral frown.

"Yuma" he asked curiously "what are you doing?".

Yuma didn't look at him but stayed focused on his phone.

"Dueling" he replied, making Astrals frown deepen.

"Dueling?" he repeated "how so?".

"It's a new game called Duel Links. It's really old school in the way it's played and the cards that are used, but I can play with the others on it, even as I can't go and do it in real life. It's actually quite entertaining".

"Interesting" Astral replied, moving closer, both to be able to better see what Yuma was doing, and because he felt an odd desire to be closer to him.

"Who are you playing as?" he then asked.

"Oh, my avatar you mean? It's a character that focuses on Magician cards. I thought it was cool, seeing as Gagaga Magician is one of my favorite cards!" Yuma replied, smiling.

"That sounds fair enough" Astral commented, leaning his head against his other halves shoulder.

"So, are you winning?" he then added and Yuma grinned.

"Of course!" he replied, as Astral saw him initiate yet another duel in the game.

"Wanna try it?" Yuma then asked, offering him the phone.

But Astral declined. "No thanks. I think I will get a bit of rest. I am feeling a little tired" he replied, and Yuma nodded.

"I understand. I'll try to be quiet" he said.

"Shouldn't you be resting as well?" Astral then asked, but Yuma just shrugged, making the aliens head bump up and down a bit as he moved.

"Nah, I'm good" he responded and Astral sighed softly.

"Very well then" he just replied, closing his eyes and relaxing against the other once more…


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 **A/N: Hullo everyone! And welcome back to my story** **I hope you will enjoy the new chapter!**

 **It's somewhat short, but I hope you'll like it anyways :)**

 **No warnings this time :D**

 **Maria: Yeah, I'm afraid you'll just have to stick with the story and see how it develops – Sorry ;)**

 **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**

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"Envoy… hear my call. Answer me!". "Astral… hear me and return to us". "Envoy… Astral… come to us! Return to your origin! Return! We must speak with you… Do not delay… Come!".

With a gasp, Astral opened his eyes and placed a hand at one of his temples, looking almost pained. Beside him, Yuma turned his head to look at him, putting his phone away on the bedside hospital table.

"Hey, Astral. Are you alright? You don't look too good" he asked, worried. "I… I heard voices. They were… calling for me" the alien replied, shivering slightly as if cold. "Voices? That doesn't sound right… You must have been dreaming" Yuma commented. "I do not dream" Astral commented, now turning his head to meet Yumas eyes.

"How do you know? Maybe that's another human trait you're picking up, after having become seemingly permanently solid" the young man responded. "That thought is quite disconcerting" Astral commented, crossing his arms over his chest in his familiar fashion, looking thoughtful. In a way, he hoped Yuma was right. That the voices had been nothing but a dream. But something just told him, that wasn't the case.

Yuma sighed. "Come on Astral… Don't worry about it. It's probably nothing" he said, then yawned loudly. "I think I'm gonna head to the bathroom, and then catch a bit of shut-eye" he added and moved to leave the bed. "Do you require any assistance?" Astral asked, momentarily forgetting about his own worries, in favor of aiding his beloved.

"I… could use an arm to reach for if I need it" he responded and Astral was immediately out of bed. "You have it" he replied, and Yuma send him a small smile. "Thanks… I know Lizzy has requested I move on my own as much as possible, but having a bit of a safety plan doesn't hurt anyone" he said, before slowly getting out of bed and rising, hand on Astrals offered arm as he found his footing.

Whilst Yuma went about his business in the bathroom, Astral waited outside, looking thoughtful. Those voices had been familiar. He was certain he'd heard them before. They had called him envoy, and Astral as well. Had asked him to return to somewhere. Could it truly be, that they were nothing but a dream? They had seemed so real, almost commanding, as though they were given him orders which they expected him to follow. But why? Who were they? Were they anything at all?

"Ehh, Astral? Ehm hello? Over here!". Astral lifted his head, meeting Yumas red eyes. "Wow, you're really far away huh?" the human commented, sighing softly. "Still thinking of that weird dream of yours?" he then said and Astral diverted his eyes.

"It's okay Astral… I know how powerful dreams can feel. I've… tried something like it, myself, before. But you have to let it go. Otherwise, you'll never be able to live fully, understand?" Yuma continued. Now, it was Astrals turn to sigh. "Very well Yuma. I shall try" he replied, before offering Yuma an arm to lean on once more.

Yuma ignored it, in favor of grabbing Astrals hand tightly with his own and then sending his partner another smile. "It's gonna be okay Astral… Let's get back to bed" he said and Astral nodded, though he wasn't certain he agreed with his other half…

"Astral… we want you to come back… Return here, now!". "We summon you, Envoy! As we agreed, you MUST come back to us!". "Do not make us use force. Return to our world. Do NOT delay!". "COME, ENVOY!".

"Stop it!" Astral cried out, shooting up in the bed, panting rapidly. With a moan, he placed a hand over his eyes, moving until he could swing his legs over the edge of the bed, hand grasping the sheets tightly, back turned to Yuma.

Those voices… They were so familiar! Who… "Ah!" he gasped, shocked "Eliphas, Enna!". He knew now. Where he'd heard the voices before. In Astral World. But it had been so long since he's spoken to them, he'd almost forgotten what they sounded like.

Suddenly, he doubled over, crying out in pain, and crossed his arms over his chest, as if he was trying to keep himself together.

"Astral!" he heard Yuma gasp behind him and moments later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Astral, what's wrong?! You're in pain! I can feel it! Talk to me, Astral!". "Yu… Yuma!" Astral moaned, turning his head to glance at the other, though it only lasted for a moment, before he moaned in pain again and nearly fell to the floor, only remaining on the bedside because Yuma had taken as firm a grip around his arm as he could.

"What's happening Astral?! What's wrong?!" the young man asked, fear and worry mixing in his voice. "Eliphas, Enna! They are calling me back! Astral World is summoning me! I MUST go Yuma!" the blue alien replied, breathing rapidly, bordering hyperventilating.

Moving up beside him, Yuma placed a hand on Astrals back and the other on his thigh, eyes constantly locked on him. "You can't, Astral! You're too weak to journey there right now, especially alone! And I'm still hospitalized, barely capable of standing on my own yet, so there's no way I can come with you" he said, looking worried.

"I have to, Yuma! It was part of the deal we made, that allowed me to come with you back to Earth, that I answer instantly if ever they summoned me back! They are calling me! I… I can't ignore them!" Astral replied, but Yuma shook his head. "You have to Astral! With both of us in these states, there's no way we can go! Can't you tell them that you'll come as soon as you're better?" he said.

Astral groaned. "They… they're calling me! I can feel myself being pulled towards them!" he said, shivering in his struggle to resist the summons. Yuma was right. If he was to go to Astral world, with things as they were right now, he'd have to go alone, and separating from Yuma when his other half was still severely weakened, even if he was no longer in mortal danger, was against everything Astral believed in.

Not to mention that with his own weakness, which was caused by how ill Yuma was, combined with all of the strange things that was going on with himself right now, he didn't much feel like facing the two Astralians, one of which was the will of Astral World itself, as well as its strongest guardian, after Astral had left to remain with Yuma, and the other the leader of the Astralian people.

No. His other half was right. He had to ignore them, at least for now. He didn't want to go to Astral World alone. He wanted, needed, Yuma to come with him. He needed his support, to face them in his current… unusual, circumstances.

"Astral!" Yuma called, and the blue being focused on his partner once more. "You… you are right, Yuma" he said, voice strained. "I must… try… and reach them. I cannot go there… without you".

Yuma nodded. "Do you need anything from me that might help you in doing so?" he asked. Astral shook his head. "Just… your presence… Let me know that… you are here" he replied, and Yuma nodded, taking Astrals hand and squeezing it tightly. "You've got it!" he said and with that, Astral closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind and presence, towards those voices who had called him.

After a few minutes, he gasped and opened his eyes again, panting rapidly, shaking more than before. "I… I cannot… reach them. I tried to convey that we needed time… But I do not know… if they heard me… I never… got an answer" he said, making Yuma frown.

"Sounds kind of bad" he responded quietly, but seeing Astrals state, he soon focused on him again. "Don't worry about it… As always, I'm here for you, if they try something again. It can't be that serious when they aren't even open to hearing back from you, right?" he asked and Astral swallowed.

"I certainly hope not" he replied, worried now, of what the reason for them summoning him might in truth be. It couldn't be because Astral World was under attack. If that was the case, he would have felt it and known for sure. Had that been the case, him and Yuma, he was certain, would have gone to their aid immediately, even without them having to summon him first.

But what then, could be the cause?...

The following two days, the calling continued, with shorter and shorter intervals in between. Astrals continued resistance to heed the call, was draining him far more than he'd thought it would, both mentally and physically. And that in turn, was affecting Yuma too. The condition of the young man was worsening once more, which concerned both the doctor and his nurses. They did not understand why the changes were occurring, and so they ran several tests on him, just like when he'd been in the ICU.

Astrals guilt gnawed at him without mercy, upon seeing that he was, once more, the cause of such pain and discomfort for his beloved Yuma. And yet the alien still could not bring himself to go to Astral World, without his other half.

When, in the middle of the night between the second and the third day, Astral once more woke up gasping, he finally snapped. "NO!" he cried out, jumping out of the bed and then instantly collapsing to the floor, arms flung around himself, as his body continuously shook under the strain.

"COME TO US!" the voices resounded in his head, even when he was no longer asleep, and he moaned loudly in pain, pressing the palms of his hands against his temples, face a grimace of agony.

Yuma heard him and weakly, he sat up in the bed, supporting himself against it with his hands, as he attempted to spot his partner. When he saw him, on the floor and in pain, he gasped and attempted to get to him, though it was a struggle for him to get out of bed.

Despite this, he still somehow managed it and once he did, he fell to his knees in front of Astral, placing his hands on the others thighs. "As…tral" he groaned weakly "What's… wrong?".

"I have to go… I have to go Yuma! I must go to them! NOW!" Astral replied, voice strained with pain and still shaking. "No… we… we can't Astral… I can't just… disappear, from the hospital. They'll… worry… And a search… will be initiated… I just… can't" his other half replied and Astral cried out in pain again, voice louder, nearing a scream. Agony. It was pure agony. And he couldn't handle it.

"I… I'm sorry Yuma… I… can't… I can't fight their call… any longer… I'm sorry" he moaned and suddenly, a portal appeared behind him out of nowhere, similar to the one that had transported Yuma and the others to Astral world in the past. Then Astral was enveloped in a yellow light-aura and Yuma knew that in moments, the alien would be pulled away from him, and his instincts made him move unconsciously.

Throwing his arms around Astrals waist, the aura then encircled Yuma as well and the next second, they were pulled in to the strange portal, travelling through space once more, to the place of Astrals origin…


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **A/N: Greetings followers, commenters and readers! I am SO happy to have you back! :D**

 **As on other Saturdays, here's the newest chapter of my story! I hope you'll all enjoy it! (^_^)**

 **Maria: I hated Eliphas as well – Not a fan of his, but he is (sadly) relatively important in YGO-ZEXAL so xD I'm glad you're sticking with the story anyways though! :D**

 **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**

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"uma… Yuma, please! Wake up! Please my love, open your eyes and look at me! Yuma!".

He groaned, moving a head to his forehead, before opening his eyes halfway, and glancing at the figure leaning in over him.

"As… tral?" he said hesitantly, but then he shot up out of nowhere and emptied the contents of his stomach over the blue, tile-like floor beneath him.

"Oh my" he heard Astral say beside him, feeling a hand being placed on his back, as he wiped one over his mouth, removing the drops of bile that had remained on his lips.

"Are you feeling better now?" the alien then asked, and Yuma swallowed hard, before nodding faintly.

"Maybe… a bit" he replied, lifting his head and finally looking at his partner.

"That is comforting to hear" Astral responded, as he rose and glanced at their surroundings.

Yuma followed his example, though he was very unsteady on his feet and still felt quite sick.

As he let his eyes run over the things around him, they widened as he spoke.

"Astral World! We've been pulled all the way to Astral World?!" he said and Astral nodded, turning back towards him again.

"It would seem so… This must be their doing. They pulled us away from Earth, the moment I gave up on fighting them" he said, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry Yuma. You shouldn't be here" he then added.

"What do you mean 'they'?" Yuma asked, but just as Astral was about to reply, a new voice was heard.

"That is exactly right, Envoy" it said and Yuma, despite the time that had passed, instantly recognized it.

"Eliphas!" he exclaimed, seeing the tall Astralian approaching, followed by another whom the young man recognized.

"Enna!" he added, looking at her, though she did not yet speak, leaving that to Eliphas, for the time being.

"Eliphas" Astral said, as the being that was the will of Astral World, reached them.

"You are right, Envoy" Eliphas repeated "he should not be here. Why did you bring him with you?".

"I do not ask your forgiveness, Eliphas" Astral responded "you know well the bond that Yuma and I share. There is no way I could have gone here without him. Not anymore".

"That is not right" Eliphas commented "you are only bound to the key whilst on Earth, not here in Astral World. You can easily come here without having to drag your human with you".

"Perhaps" was Astrals reply "but I would not want to".

The two stared at eachother for a while, but then Eliphas finally broke the silence that was growing between them.

"Hm. We must talk about several things" he said "but first of all, is this: how dare you ignore our summons for three whole Earth-days?! The deal that we agreed upon, was that whenever we summoned you, you would come here instantly.

THAT, was our demand, to allow you to go to Earth and remain with the human male known as Yuma Tsukumo. So why then, did you ignore us?!".

"I apologize for the delay, Eliphas" Astral replied "but I am afraid that Yuma, and thus also I, have been unwell for quite a while. The truth is, that when you forced me to come here, you pulled us out of the hospital we are currently admitted to for treatment".

"I assume that explains the sick on the floor" Eliphas responded, looking at what Yuma had thrown up with pure disgust.

Yuma felt himself blush at his words and reaction, feeling shameful, even though there was nothing he could do about what had happened and thus shouldn't be.

Astral sensed it, and glanced at him, moving in front of him protectively.

"Yuma is very ill. He cannot be held responsible for this. It is one of his body's instinctual ways of dealing with disease" he said, feeling a strong urge to protect his lover.

"Maybe you should keep your distance from him then, if he is truly that sick" Eliphas replied, voice hard and cold, just as Yuma remembered it from when he had dueled him on his own, in order to get Astral back.

That, coupled with the others continued hostility towards him, made Yuma shiver, though he didn't say anything.

Astral was defending him. It made his heart swell with love, seeing how protective he still remained of him.

"Even if I could, I never would Eliphas. Yuma is my other half. Even YOU know this. We belong together, and I would not be able to bear it were I to be separated from him once again. He is the only thing that completes me. He is the reason for why I am alive" the blue-skinned half of the original number responded, eyes fiercer than they had been for quite a while.

"Astral…" Yuma said quietly, wide eyes admiring his beloved.

"Enough!" a female voice suddenly sounded. It was Enna. Stepping forward, she looked directly at Yuma, much to his surprise.

"Yuma… I apologize for Eliphas' fierceness, but please, do not be concerned. We are pleased to see you here again, though we are troubled by your current state.

We all know that the Envoy, Astrals', life is tied fully to yours, and so we are worried at how weak you are right now, especially under these circumstances" she said.

"What do you mean 'these circumstances'?" Yuma asked and Astral nodded his consent.

"Yes. Why DID you summon me here, and why was it so urgent that you would even inflict pain on me, until I broke? Why did you force us to come here?

I have not sensed any attacks on Astral World for years and even now, as I am here, it seems peaceful" he inquired.

"The pain was to teach you a lesson, Envoy" Eliphas said, tone rough "you made a promise and you were breaking it. That is not the way we do things here".

"Things have happened, that requires we investigate them further Astral". It was Enna.

"Now that you stand before us, we can see that our suspicions were indeed correct. We know that your time ended almost a month ago, in human days. And yet you remain as solid as ever.

This is not the way it should be.

And so, we must speak with you of what happened during your time, as well as what have happened since it concluded" she continued.

Astral felt himself blushing as she spoke of it so openly, and lowering his head, he replied "I do not see why you should be informed of the exact circumstances surrounding that week. It is none of your business, not any of you. It is private".

His voice was faintly shaky, and Yuma could hear tones of something that resembled anger in it as well.

"You certainly have bonded with that human, haven't you Envoy? Those emotions are unbecoming of an Astralian" Eliphas commented, arms crossed over his chest.

From his comment, Yuma understood that he had to have picked up on the faint undertone in Astrals voice as well.

"You are one to speak" Astral replied, locking his eyes on the Guardian for a long while, until Enna spoke again.

"Stop it, both of you" she said "this is not the right place for talking. Come. We will go to a more secluded setting".

With that, she started moving back in the direction she'd come from.

Only now, did Astral and Yuma notice that a large amount of Astralians had gathered around them, smiling at them and greeting them.

Yuma send them all a small smile in return, but because of how he was feeling, he found himself wishing they weren't there.

Astral felt it across their bond and offered Yuma his arm.

"We better follow them" he said, and Yuma nodded, accepting the offered assistance.

It was troublesome for him to walk, but with Astrals help, the two of them soon found themselves in a large chamber.

As they entered it, Eliphas followed behind them, halting as they did.

"Now that we are in private" Enna said, turning around and locking her eyes on Yuma and Astral "it's time we talk. Astral, come".

As she finished, she held out an arm in invitation. Astral looked at Yuma.

"What should I do?" he asked across their bond.

"I… I think you'll have to go to her Astral" Yuma replied, in the same manner.

"But what about you? Will you be alright?" the alien asked.

"I'll just… sit down over there, by the wall" Yuma responded "I'm going to be fine… But… I think you need to be honest with her. I'm not sure why I feel it's important, but there's just something…".

Astral observed him for a little, but then he nodded. "Very well then. Come, I will help you down" he said, and with that, he and Yuma moved to the wall, where Astral helped his partner get into a relatively comfortable position on the floor.

Once he had, he placed a soft kiss on Yumas temple, before turning away from him and heading for the middle of the large room, where Enna was standing next to something that resembled an operating table, like the ones he had seen on Earth.

"What's this?" he asked her as he reached it and Enna looked at him with serious eyes.

"This is where you will be located, as we talk. It was created for this specific situation and that is why it is inspired by some of the things we have seen on Earth" she replied.

"How have you seen it?" Astral asked, surprised "have you been observing Earth and its people?".

"Yes, we have. Eliphas and I have kept an eye on them, with a little help from a mutual acquaintance of ours. But only for as long as you have been among them, as an Envoy" Enna responded.

"But, why?" Astral asked "and how?!".

"That's not important!" Eliphas now chimed in from near where Yuma was sitting, leaning heavily against the wall.

"What IS important, is the information WE are seeking, from YOU".

"I beg to differ" Astral replied, not even turning around to look at Eliphas, but keeping his focus on Enna. "It IS important, to me".

"We understand, Envoy. No, Astral. I promise that when you have answered our questions, we will answer yours as well" Enna replied.

"Very well then" Astral replied, after some moments thought. "But if you really HAVE been watching us, shouldn't you already know exactly what happened during… my time?".

"No, we do not" Enna responded "we… lost track of you, during those days".

"So, that is why you ordered me to come here" Astral said, crossing his arms over his chest in his usual fashion.

"Yes. Once we found you again, your time had passed and yet, you remained in this form. We must discover why and whether it is permanent. We also need to find out if it is something we should be troubled by" Enna replied and Astral sighed.

"I do not wish to discuss this subject, but if it is the only way I can make you return us to Earth, then I guess I have no choice in the matter. I shall answer your questions truthfully" he responded, and Enna nodded, sending him a small smile.

"Then please, if you will lie down here" she then said and with one more glance at Yuma, Astral did as requested.

"Tell me again why I must lie here for this Enna" he asked, once he was on the operating table.

"It is to help you relax. I must enter your thoughts as I ask my questions, to confirm that you are being honest" she replied.

"Why would I lie? Am I not still Astralian? Do you not trust me?" Astral asked on, but this time, Ennas' answer came more hesitantly.

"Perhaps" she said, glancing at Eliphas, who in turn looked at Yuma, who found himself feeling like the Guardians eyes could see right through his hospital gowns and every other layer of him, to his very soul.

He didn't like it, so he quickly lowered his head, pulling his knees up under his chin and locking his arms in front of them, glancing sideways at Astral for comfort.

"Will you willingly allow me access to your mind Envoy?" Enna now asked, eyes locked on Astral.

Astral felt Yumas discomfort and a hint of fear, and moved so he could look at him briefly, to make sure he was still unharmed.

"Yuma, calm down. Everything will be alright" he said across their bond, but Yuma didn't reply, even though Astral sensed that he'd heard him. The alien sighed.

"Yes. Just… let us get on with it already" he said, relaxing against the table he was on once more, and moving his eyes to Enna.

Enna nodded.

"Very well. I shall ask the first question then" she replied and Astral closed his eyes.

"Go ahead" he said and then it began…


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 **A/N: Greetings followers, commenters and readers! And welcome back! (^_^)**

 **As on other Saturdays, here's the newest chapter of my story! I hope you'll all enjoy it! :D**

 **Sad news (for you, my readers) is, I won't be uploading a new chapter next week, because… I'M GETTING MARRIED! X_X *Panics and runs around screaming for about a minute, then takes a few deep breaths and calms down again* Okay… Anyways…**

 **I'll try and upload something in the week after, but it may not be until Wednesday or so, cause my (then) hubby and I, will be going on our honeymoon as well :)**

 **As compensation, I give you a somewhat longer chapter this time :P**

 ** _thor94:_ Thank you for your comment! They've got some idea, though they are not certain of course **

**_Maria:_ He could be, you know! He's equally annoyed with Eliphas as us xD But, he DID use the Numeron Code to bring Eliphas back, so he does feel something for him **

**Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**

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The first few questions were innocent enough. They were about him, what his name was, where he hailed from and so on.

But then they got more personal, and that was when Enna started working her way in to his thoughts.

"When did you first notice your approaching time?" she asked.

"When my symptoms started making themselves known" Astral replied.

"Which symptoms?" Enna continued.

"I… became more solid… And… my energy levels… started growing, exponentially" Astral responded.

"Was that all?" Enna inquired.

"No" Astral responded, knowing that lying to her would only backfire.

"What more was there?" she asked.

"A need… I needed my… partner. My soulmate. I needed… Yuma" was Astrals answer. His face showed discomfort for a moment, as he jolted on the table.

Yuma sensed a change in Astral and lifted his head to try and see him properly. He didn't have much luck though, as the table his partner was on, was higher than he could see in his current position.

He still kept his eyes on the table though, focusing his mind on sensing Astral across their bond.

"This need which you felt. In which way was it you needed your partner?" Enna asked, continuing her questioning.

"I… I needed him to be my energy-conduit. I needed him… to help me… survive" Astral replied.

"And how did he fare in this position?".

"He did well… He saved me, many times over, throughout that week".

This time, Astrals response was far steadier than it had been the other times, and again, Yuma sensed a shift in him.

He felt as though these words had made Astral more determined and had centered him slightly, from where he'd been drifting off to, as Enna was permitted access to his mind.

"Is that so" Enna commented, before she asked her next question. "How did you transfer this energy, which was continuously building in your system, without causing harm to the human male?".

"I… didn't" was Astrals reply.

It was faint, weaker than the others had been, and Yuma felt a sharp twinge of pain, which caused him to place a hand over his chest as his eyes widened.

This was caused by Astrals guilt, he knew it instantly.

He wanted to rise. To go to Astral and take his hand. To tell him that he was going to be fine and that there was no need for the alien to feel this guilty.

But he couldn't.

He couldn't even stand as things were right now.

And so, the only thing he COULD do, was send his lover reassuring thoughts across their bond, which was somewhat of a challenge, as their minds were currently separated as though by a thin veil, most likely do to Ennas' prodding of Astrals thoughts resulting in the other wanting to shield their bond from her, Yuma figured.

So, instead he said loudly "I'll be fine Astral! Don't blame yourself for this, please! It was my choice and you know it!", hoping that the other would hear him.

Eliphas stared at him as he spoke up, but the Guardian didn't interrupt him, or comment on it once Yuma once more fell silent.

Instead, he moved his eyes from the young man on the floor, to the envoy on the table, his expression serious and somewhat dark.

"Oh?" Enna said "so he got hurt during your time?".

"Yes. Badly… But we found a way… to avoid most of his suffering" Astral continued.

"Which way was that?" the woman from Astral world now asked.

"I… I do not wish to tell you!" Astral replied, once more struggling on the table he was lying on.

"Even so, you MUST tell me Envoy. This is of vital importance to my further questions" Enna pushed on.

"No… that… that is private!" Astral fought her.

"If you will not give me the answers willingly, I will have to take them from you, Astral" Enna said.

"No! I… I will tell you…" Astral then replied, voice strained.

"Give me your answer" Enna demanded and Astral swallowed hard.

"Very well… To transfer the energy I needed, without causing needless pain for my partner, I… I joined with him... We became one… physically and mentally, but still as two… bodies" he said, voice fading at his last words.

And Yuma felt clear as day across their bond, the pure embarrassment and shame that came to him from his beloved.

"No! Astral!" he cried out and now he managed to rise by pure show of will, and stumble towards the table where Astral lay.

As he reached it, he was panting and his whole body ached, but he was so focused on Astral, that he managed to ignore it in favor of grasping his lovers closest hand tightly, leaning heavily against the table.

"Don't tell her if you don't want to! You aren't obligated to tell them anything!" Yuma said, tightening his hold on Astrals hand.

The other didn't open his eyes, but he moaned quietly, and Yuma heard his name whispered by his partners lips.

Enna observed them in silence for a while, but then she spoke again.

"Since you were joined in this manner, and your time ended, have you experienced any changes within you?" she asked, and Astral groaned quietly, his head turning from side to side as though he was still struggling.

"I… have" he said after a little, but a pained expression was on his face and his breathing had become more rapid than before.

"Stop it!" Yuma exclaimed "you're hurting him! Leave him alone Enna! Why are you doing this to us?!".

"Quiet!" Eliphas' voice thundered in the room, as his heavy footsteps approached its center, heading directly for Yuma and the others.

"You will NOT interfere with this questioning, or I will send you back to the human world WITHOUT Astral! Do I make myself clear, Yuma?!".

Yuma, startled, turned his head and looked at Eliphas with somewhat frightened eyes.

"E… Eliphas… I thought you understood. Why are you both doing this? Can't you see how much it tortures Astral to be subjected to this interrogation of yours?!" he said, voice upset, but marked by his weariness and still weakened state.

"As long as he remains truthful, he won't be harmed. All he must do, is be honest with us" Eliphas replied and the hand Yuma was supporting himself with against the table Astral was on, clenched into a fist.

"So, you want the truth, do you?" he said, voice rough.

"Fine, I'll give you the truth then! During Astrals time, we had sex! Several times! And I'd think you'd be fine with that, seeing as you already recognized us as belonging with one another! That IS why you let him come back with me after all, isn't it?!

And according to Astral, that isn't too far from what would have happened if he'd been with an Astralian, so there! I offered myself to Astral more than willingly, and I don't regret one second of it! ANY of it! And if the time comes where he'd need me once more, I would do it all over again, without hesitation!

And yeah, sure, some things have changed for Astral since his time ended, like the fact that he's remained solid or that he's feeling hunger now and must eat human food to feel better! But that doesn't matter! Because we're dealing with them and we don't need YOUR help to do so!".

When he silenced, he was short of breath and his face was a grimace of pain, but he was still holding Astrals hand tightly and he didn't regret a word he'd just said.

Astral now opened his eyes for the first time since the questioning began, glancing at Yuma.

His expression was completely unreadable, but across their bond, Yuma sensed a mix of feelings ranging from utter horror and shame, to deep gratefulness.

Enna must have felt some of the same things, because she now retreated from Astrals mind, and pulled back one step, lifting her head and looking at Eliphas.

Eliphas returned her stare, but Yuma was focused on Astral, so he didn't see the look which was exchanged between the two inhabitants of Astral world.

After a while, Enna spoke.

"I no longer doubt that you are being honest with us Astral, nor do I doubt that you are as well Yuma, though your words were both harsh and unnecessary.

The Envoy was doing fine without your interference" she said, and Yuma blushed, as he glanced at her before returning his eyes to Astral, who was still lying on his back, though he was looking at those gathered around him and returning Yumas squeezing of his hand.

"Be that as it may though, your words were honest and showed spectacular loyalty to your partner. This pleases us, as one of our concerns, and thus reasons for summoning the Envoy back here, stem from some troublesome sensations we have experienced as of late" Enna said, before Eliphas took over.

"As you may have realized from the way we were capable of summoning the Envoy, both Enna and I share a connection with him. One that is similar in nature to that which the two of you share and yet are very different from it.

And both of us have, across this connection, sensed a great weakening of the Envoy, of Astral. At more than one point, we have felt him walking the very fine line between life and death, and this worries us greatly.

We have been concerned with whether you, Yuma, the human half of the original number, may have been the cause for this and today we have had that suspicion confirmed.

It is of vital importance to us, to all of Astral World, that the Envoy remain strong and as such, we have been considering whether the two of you should be separated, for good" the Guardian said, but then he was cut off by a unified Astral and Yuma, protesting his words instantly.

"No! You cannot separate us!" they both exclaimed and Astral, sitting up now, pulled Yuma down beside him on the table and moved an arm in front of him protectively.

"I will never let you separate us. If Yuma and I are not together, we will die. Is that what you want?!" he said fiercely, but Enna raised a hand as a sign of peace.

"No, it is not. That is what we are trying to avoid, as best we can" she said.

"And with the words, and actions, of both of you here today, we have been convinced that Yumas loyalty and… love, for you, Astral, have not wavered. If anything, the bond between the two of you, seem to have become stronger than ever.

This is a necessity in order for you to use the powers of ZEXAL, which you will most certainly need if any new foes arise, that threatens our unified worlds, the numbers or… the future hope for both Barians, Astralians and humans alike" Eliphas added, making Yuma frown.

"What do you mean 'the future hope'?" he asked, curiously.

"And why is this thing you speak of, the future hope, for ALL the worlds?" Astral chimed in, lowering his arm, but moving it around Yumas waist instead, to pull him closer protectively.

Yuma more than willingly let him, still feeling weak and knowing that being close to Astral would help him.

"Our second reason for summoning you here, and with such urgency as well Astral, is that we suspected something may have happened during your time, which could be of vital importance to all of our futures" Enna replied, folding her hands in front of her lap as she kept her eyes on them.

"What, pray tell, might that be?" Astral asked, somewhat impatiently, sensing that Yuma needed to get back to the hospital soon, to continue with his treatments, before his condition worsened further.

He himself had already weakened since they arrived in Astral World, and he knew it could only be because the same thing was happening for Yuma.

"You are still solid, even a month after your time concluded. You are feeling hunger, like a human would, and are capable of consuming, and processing, human food.

And last, but not least, whilst I was in your mind, I felt another presence within you. One, that did not belong to Yuma. It was very faint, but I am absolutely certain that it was there" Enna replied, then paused.

Astral and Yuma looked at eachother, then returned their attention to the Astralian beings before them.

"Another presence?" Astral asked "What do you mean? I have no knowledge of this 'other presence'. I have not felt it".

Enna smiled. "I assume that is because you have spent so much time away from Astral World. It means it takes you longer to detect it, than if this was not the case. But I assure you, it is there" she replied.

"Enough Enna" Astral said "what is this presence you speak of?! Tell me!".

"A child, Envoy" Eliphas responded "a being created by the union between you and your partner. A symbol of the unification of all our worlds, Astral, Barian and Earth as well".

"Making it the hope for all of our futures" Enna added, before they both silenced.

Astrals eyes widened and he unconsciously placed a hand on his stomach. Yumas jaw dropped to his chest and he seemed to get impossibly pale, though he was completely unable to speak a word.

Then, after a long while, Enna spoke again.

"I see that you are both surprised by this news. I must say, I do not understand why. After all, I assume Astral informed you, Yuma, of the purpose of his time?" she said.

"Ye… yeah, he did" Yuma replied "in a way. He said it usually happened when you reached the time at which you'd be capable of producing offspring… But I never thought he'd actually… get pregnant! I mean, he's male, and I… I'm male too! That's impossible!".

He turned his head and looked at Astral now.

"Isn't it?" he asked, voice somewhat higher pitched than normally.

Astral looked at him as well, returning his stare.

"Perhaps it is on Earth" he then responded "but here in Astral World, things are somewhat different. Here, we, the males, carry the children to term. We are the ones who… get pregnant".

He blushed as he'd spoken, and lowered his gaze, unable to look at Yuma at that moment.

"Wait, what?!" Yuma exclaimed "why didn't you tell me Astral?!".

"I… I did not think it would be of any relevance, seeing as you too, are male" the alien responded.

"I see" Enna said "so this is an equal surprise for both of you. That is unfortunate".

"Yes, very unfortunate indeed. If the two of you are not prepared for what this means, the child will have to be removed as soon as possible.

There is no way we can raise a half-human being here in Astral World, and a half-Astralian being cannot be raised on Earth without the involvement of an Astralian. Then it would be better for it to die, before it truly came to be" Eliphas agreed.

"What?!" Astral said, shock in his voice, locking his eyes on Enna and Eliphas. "No! I do not wish to end it! If there truly is a child, then I will carry it to term and raise it, no matter what! Even more so since it is created by the merging of Yuma and I! I would never destroy something which we made together!".

Yumas eyes widened at his words.

"Wow, wow, wow Astral! This isn't just your decision you know! I'm a part of this as well! You can't just decide that on your own!" he protested and now Astral turned his attention to him again.

"Yuma!" he said, honestly surprised. "Do you mean to say that you WOULD have it ended?".

"I… I don't know Astral! I don't think I'm ready to become a Dad yet! I'm only 17!" Yuma replied, still in shock. Astrals eyes widened.

"Yuma!" he exclaimed, shocked.

"Well I'm sorry Astral! But I just… I don't know..." Yuma responded, lowering his eyes and looking worried.

"I… I cannot believe what I am hearing Yuma! Do you not understand the importance of this child? There is no way I am letting it die!" Astral said and Enna and Eliphas exchanged looks.

"We are on your side Envoy" Eliphas commented, after a nod from Enna.

"This child is a treasure to all of us. We would prefer that no harm come to it as well, but it cannot be raised here.

The fact of it is, that this child will be half-human and so, like you are experiencing now, it will not be able to survive solely on energy, like if it had been purely Astralian.

It will have needs which can only be fulfilled in the human world. And you cannot raise it by yourself".

"Everyone, hold your horses!" Yuma broke in "there's gonna be no raising of any child without me! No way! If Astral insists on seeing this pregnancy to the end, then I'm not gonna let him do it without me!". He paused, then looked at Astral again, now taking both of his hands.

"Listen Astral, I don't know if I'm ready to be a dad yet, but I'm willing to try my very best! I understand why you don't want to get rid of it, I really do. And I can even understand why Enna and Eliphas seems to feel the same way.

But I have to be honest. I wish you would have told me of the risk that this would happen. That way, I might have had more time to prepare for this eventuality" he said, looking deep into his lovers' dichromatic eyes.

"I… I did not think it could happen between two males" Astral responded, repeating his words from earlier.

"I really didn't Yuma, believe me. But… had I told you… would it have changed anything? I must know this, so please… do not lie to me".

Yuma seemed to think for a moment, but then he lit up in a smile and moved so his and Astrals foreheads were touching.

"No Astral. It wouldn't. It wouldn't have changed anything at all. I would still do it all, all over again, if you needed it, even knowing this might happen" he replied and Astral breathed a sigh of relief, which almost seemed to be mirrored by Enna and Eliphas.

"Your loyalty, and love, for Astral is truly admirable Yuma Tsukumo" the Guardian said, looking at them.

"Yes. Astral is very lucky to have found you" Enna agreed, smiling faintly.

"We found eachother" Astral responded, lifting a hand to Yumas cheek and caressing it, before he claimed a kiss from the young mans lips, ignoring their current audience, although he blushed fiercely once the two of them separated again.

Yuma smiled tiredly. "So… I guess I'm gonna be a dad soon then" he said and Astral nodded.

"So it would seem. I do hope you do not feel like I trapped you Yuma" he said, and Yuma shook his head.

"Nah, no way Astral. You say you thought it impossible, just like me, and I trust you… We'll just have to do this together, like we always have" he replied, sounding just as weak as he felt.

Astrals eyes darkened with worry as he heard the tone in the others voice and he kissed his forehead reverently.

"We must get you back to the hospital Yuma" he said "you are getting weaker".

Yuma nodded, but didn't say anything. He knew Astral was right.

Astral looked at Enna and Eliphas.

"Now that you have had your suspicions confirmed, are Yuma and I free to return to Earth?" he asked.

Enna nodded. "Yes. But we would like you to come here once every month as your pregnancy progresses. It will be good for both you and the child to spend a bit of time in Astral World before the delivery…

And remember Astral, that once the time comes, you must not be alone. You HAVE to be with your partner. You know well the dangers childbirth involves, here in Astral World, and your child will be half-human as well" she replied.

Astral nodded. "Yes. I do. It is a matter of life and death, which can very well be determined by whether I must do it alone, or with the aid of my soulmate. My other half" he replied, glancing at Yuma.

That delivery would be yet another trial for his beloved, and easily one as strenuous as the last.

It would be dangerous to himself as well. In fact, he could very easily die during the birth, if he was not careful with how much energy he used on bringing the child in to the world, especially taking in to consideration the unknown factors involved with the child being half-human.

"What… what do you mean Astral?" Yuma asked anxiously, but Astral just shook his head softly.

"We can talk about it once you are back under treatment Yuma. For now, I think we should get going" he replied. Yuma frowned, and Astral could feel that he wasn't satisfied with the aliens' answer.

He didn't change it though. He felt clearly that Yuma was getting worse, because he himself was beginning to weaken more noticeably as well, and if he didn't change things soon, he would undoubtedly start fading again.

Now that he knew that there was so much more at stake than just his and Yumas lives, he couldn't risk that happening if he could in any way avoid it. So they had to get going, as soon as possible.

Wrapping an arm around Yumas waist, he helped him stand, and then looked at Eliphas again.

"Eliphas" he said "I assume you are the one who created the portal that moved us here. Will you please make another, that can bring us back to the exact spot from which you took us?".

Eliphas nodded.

"It was. And I will" he replied, raising a hand as a portal, just like the one they had previously come through, appeared behind them.

"Astral" Enna said, just before they turned to leave "will you do as we ask and come here once a month throughout the pregnancy?".

Astral nodded. "I will" he replied.

"Then I will summon you when next we would like you to come here" Eliphas said and Astral nodded again.

Then he and Yuma turned around and stepped through the portal, leaving Astral World behind once more…


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 **A/N:** _ **Greetings followers, commenters and readers! And welcome back! (^_^)**_

 _ **So… My wedding is over, and everything went well, aside from a few minor issues**_

 _ **I haven't written anymore on my stories, sadly, though I'm most likely going to write a vampire fic set in a crossover Cardcaptor Sakura X xxxHolic X Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle universe soon**_

 _ **I do have a couple of more chapters ready for this story, but when they are uploaded, it may take me a while to find the inspiration to continue it, though I will try to do so**_

 _ **For now, I hope you enjoy this newest chapter**_

 _ **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**_

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"Where the hell were you Yuma!?" Kari exclaimed, as she slapped her hands onto the frame of the hospital bed angrily. Yuma moaned, clutching a hand at his chest. "I… I'm sorry Kari!" he responded, but then he groaned again, closing his eyes tightly shut. He was feeling sick and after his trip to Astral World and back, his head felt like it was splitting apart.

Astral was sitting on the side of the bed, hand over Yumas on the sheets. He felt extremely weak, and he unconsciously held a protective hand over his stomach, but his eyes were focused on Yuma, sensing that the human was once again, struggling with nausea.

"Remember to breathe deeply Yuma" he said in a voice marked by his current state. "Yeah…" Yuma moaned, attempting to steady his breathing.

"Do you realize how worried we all were?!" Kari continued "I had to leave work early because I got a call my little brother had vanished from the hospital that was treating him for a severe illness! So you better start talking dweep! Where, the hell, were you?!".

"I… I was taken to Astral World, okay Kari! Happy now?!" Yuma replied, voice angry. Moments later, he leaned over the side of the bed and threw up on the floor, making Astral move to get out of the way of the vomit.

"Oh dear. Yuma…" he said softly, offering the young man a piece of paper from the bedside table. Yuma used it to wipe bile away from the corners of his mouth, sending Astral a grateful glance before resting back in the hospital bed, closing his eyes.

Karis anger seemed to have evaporated somewhat at the sight of her brother once more emptying the contents of his stomach over the hospital floor. With a sigh, she went about cleaning it for the up-tenth time, so the kind nurse who attended him, wouldn't have to.

Astral sighed to himself, closing his eyes and leaning forward slightly, feeling like he was about to collapse. Yuma, sensing it across their bond, opened an eye half-way and glanced at him, moving a hand so he could touch Astrals wrist.

"You need to lie down Astral" he communicated through their minds "you're exhausted. I can feel how weak you are, and I know it's because of me. Come on… We have so much more we must take care of now after all". Astral turned his head and looked at him, seeing the faintest of smiles cross Yumas lips at his words, before he groaned under his breath and closed his eye again, moving an arm above his head as if inviting Astral to rest against him, like always.

The blue-skinned alien didn't wait long with complying with this invite. Yuma was right. If he didn't lie down now, he would collapse. So, with slow motions, he moved in the bed until he could place his head on the pillow beside Yumas, and a hand on his lovers' chest. The other hand he placed above his head, where he could entwine his and Yumas fingers gently.

Yuma smelled of sick, but Astral didn't care. He just wanted, needed, to be near him.

"Excuse me Miss Tsukumo" a light voice sounded and Astral heard footsteps approaching. "Visiting hours are over, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave now" the light voice said. Tanimas' voice.

"I… Of course Tanima. I'll just say goodnight to Yuma, and then I'll be off, alright?" Kari replied. Tanima nodded. Kari approached the bed and leaned down towards them. Caressing Yumas hair gently, she said in a low voice "we're not done talking about this yet Yuma… But try and get some sleep and something to eat as soon as you can, okay? Grandma and I… we miss you around the house. We'd like to be able to take you home soon, got it?".

Yuma didn't reply, but Astral glanced at her briefly, seeing the worry and sorrow in her features clearly, before closing his eyes again. Then he heard Kari swallow and move back across the floor, towards the door.

"You make sure to call us if ANYTHING happens, alright Tanima?" he heard her say and he heard Tanima agree to do so. Then they both left, and the door was closed behind them.

Astral sighed, once more moving a hand to his stomach. He still couldn't believe that Enna and Eliphas had discovered that he was with child, before he himself had. How could that be? How come he hadn't noticed? Or suspected anything?

He moistened his lips, then attempted to reach out with his mind for any presence within him, that didn't relate to Yuma, Eliphas or Enna. The connection to Yuma was bright and tempting, as though it was trying to get him to follow it, but Astral didn't let himself divert.

The connections to Enna and Eliphas were faint, currently inactive as far as he could tell, though they were undoubtedly there.

He searched deeper. And then, suddenly, he felt it. It was very faint, barely detectable, but it was there. New life. He sensed it deep within himself, but it did not reach back for him.

"It is still too soon" he thought to himself, feeling a tear forming at the corner of his eye. "It will need to grow quite a bit, before it can respond to me".

He swallowed. How were they gonna handle this? How would Yumas' family react, when they found out what had happened? What if they send Yuma away? Or separated them?

No. They wouldn't. They knew that him and Yuma depended on eachothers presence and strengths. They would never separate them, not even because of this. He was certain of it.

But what about their friends? Yumas, friends… Would they ditch him once they learned the truth? And what were the two of them going to do? Neither one of them had been prepared for this news and Yuma was still barely an adult himself, even if he was 'legal' as the young man had himself pointed out to Kari earlier.

What if he wasn't ready to be a father? Enna and Eliphas were right. Astral would never be able to raise a child alone, especially not when said child was half-human. And he wouldn't, couldn't, separate from Yuma, no matter what. So, essentially, he would be forcing Yuma to see the child every day, even should the other not wish to do so.

But Yuma had said he was ready for the challenge. That they would face it together, as always. So, obviously, he was intending to give it his best shot.

Or was he? Had he just been saying those things, or had he truly meant them? No, he had meant them. Thinking back on how Yuma spoke those words, Astral knew he had been honest. He wouldn't lie to him again. Not ever. Not after what happened last time.

But it would be quite the change in their lives. Yuma was still in school. How were they gonna do it?!

Yumas' family. They would help for sure, Astral figured, once they accepted what was. Haru had always been sweet and understanding. She would continue to be so, he was certain of it. But Kari… Now, that was another story.

She would probably blame him and accuse him of having trapped her brother. And in a way, she would be right, wouldn't she?

As Yuma drifted off beside him, and Astral himself started dozing off, these thoughts kept circling in the aliens' head, even following him in to his sleep…

He heard him scream. The sound resonated deep within his own soul, making his heart ache with pity and worry. He saw him twisting and turning, unable to find comfort or even a break from the pain. He heard his rapid breathing. His moans and cries. He felt his weakness. And he saw his skin being ripped open. And then… silence. No more sounds. Just quiet. A deep, disconcerting quiet.

And then he felt tears, running down his cheeks…

"Astral, NO!" he cried out and shot up in the hospital bed. He was panting rapidly, and his heart was hammering loudly in his ears. He was staring at nothing, though his eyes were wide open and shimmering with fear and his cheeks were wet.

"Yuma! Yuma, what is the matter?!" Astral asked, sitting next to him, one hand on the back of Yumas shoulder and the other on his thigh. He had been asleep, when suddenly Yuma shot up in the bed and a powerful wave of pure fear, struck the alien across their bond.

Looking at his partner now, he saw on him, and felt from him, overpowering anxiety and could even hear the others heart beating loudly in his chest.

He didn't know what was wrong, but he gathered that Yuma must have had some sort of nightmare and, judging from what he had gasped as he woke up, it must have had something to do with Astral himself.

"Yuma, please… I am here. Tell me what is wrong" he tried again, and slowly, Yuma turned his head to him, though he didn't seem to see him at first. Then his eyes suddenly focused on Astral, as though he only now noticed that he was there. And the next second, he had thrown his arms around Astrals waist and pulled him into a tight embrace, shivering noticeably.

"Astral… I was so scared! I thought you were… I heard you… I saw it! Astral" the young man said, voice thick with tears and shaking. "Oh Yuma… It is alright. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I love you, so much. I could never leave you. Please, calm down" Astral replied in a soft tone, one that had calmed Yuma many times in the past.

"I… I really felt like I'd lost you again" Yuma mumbled and Astral kissed his forehead, letting a hand caress Yumas back gently. "I know. You had a nightmare again. But it is alright… You haven't lost me" he responded and though it took a couple of minutes, Yuma finally stopped shaking and took a few deep breaths to get himself to stop sobbing.

Once he felt like he had his body and mind under relative control again, he sighed quietly and then lifted his head to meet Astrals eyes, loosening his tight hold around the other.

"Sorry…" he said in a low whisper, but Astral just send him a tender smile and moved his hands, to wipe away the tears now rapidly cooling on the cheeks of his other half. "It's okay Yuma. Do not be ashamed. After all, it is my fault that you suffer from these nightmares.

And we both know they tend to get worse in times of great stress for you. With the news we got a couple of days ago, I almost expected them to return. Come here" the blue-skinned being replied, pulling his lover in to a hug, though a less tight one, than what he had just experienced.

Yuma moistened his lips, closing his eyes and lowering his head again, resting it against Astrals chest.

"If the doctors knew about them, I'm sure they'd diagnose me with PTSD or something… I'm very grateful that you are always within immediate reach, when I…" he started, but then his voice faded again and Astral heard him swallow heavily.

Gently, he ran a hand through Yumas hair, caressing it tenderly. "It's okay my love" he said, voice low. He continued his usual rituals in calming Yuma down after one of his night-terrors, by kissing his temples and then moving a hand under his chin to make the other look at him once more.

"We're fine" Astral said, sending Yuma another smile.

Yuma nodded, as their eyes were locked on one another, and then he returned the smile with one of his own.

"We're fine" he repeated, voice gaining strength and confidence once more.

"That is exactly right" Astral replied, and Yumas smile widened, until finally, he started laughing.

"This is so stupid" he chastised himself "it was just a bad dream! What am I? 5 years old or something?! Thanks, Astral". With that, he wrapped an arm around Astrals neck and pulled himself up, so he could claim a passionate kiss from the aliens' lips.

Astral let him. He could feel that Yuma was still affected by his nightmare, but that he was feeling better than before. And anyways, Astral very much enjoyed the kiss too.

"In a couple of days, we'll be home again. Maybe you'll sleep better then" the alien said after a bit, and Yuma nodded.

"Maybe" he agreed "but I'm kind of worried about being back with the family 24/7. I mean, I hate lying to them and well… with your condition… How are we gonna tell them?".

Astral sighed. "I was just thinking of the same thing myself Yuma" he replied "however, I did not reach a conclusive answer. So, I am at as much of a loss as you are. I do believe we should be honest though. Your family deserves that".

"I agree" Yuma responded, looking thoughtful. Then he groaned, throwing his hands up on either side of his head. "Oh man, Kari is going to KILL me when she finds out! Maybe we should just run before the hospital releases me. I'd probably live longer that way!" he continued, looking like he was being tortured.

"Yuma!" Astral said, voice mildly scolding. "I know, I know! I was just joking Astral! We're not running away" Yuma replied, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "But dammit, I can't help but worry. I'm only 17! Fur sure, everyone thought Kari would be the one to become a parent by accident, not me.

And Mom and Dad have no idea what's been going on back here at home at all. Not about your time, what happened during it, my stay in the hospital, or this. And they won't know for a while still. Grandma says they shouldn't be home until at least another couple of months".

The young man silenced, groaning quietly as he closed his eyes and rested back in the bed. "We will tell your family of this, together. I understand that it worries you. I too am worried by it, but I have faith in them all. They will not be anything but supportive, once the news has a chance to sink in, I am certain of it" Astral said, lying down beside the other, though he kept his hands to himself.

"Man, I hope you're right Astral" Yuma replied, sighing quietly. Just a few more days. Then they'd finally be out of the hospital again. He could hardly wait…


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 **A/N:** _ **Hello everyone! I'm back, with the next chapter! :D**_

 _ **Yuma and his beloved are finally out of the hospital, but with everything they have discovered now, how will they do, once they get home again?**_

 _ **Maria: THANK YOU so much, for continuously leaving reviews on my story! It makes me so happy to know that others are still enjoying the weird story of my imagination! xD**_

 _ **Anyway. I hope you enjoy, my lovely readers!**_

 _ **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**_

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He couldn't sleep. He was feeling hot and uncomfortable. He sighed and turned on to his side, staring at the peacefully slumbering figure of his partner.

Boldly, he moved a hand and ran his fingers ever so lightly down the arm that was most exposed.

He felt a tingle as he caressed cooler skin, but afraid he would wake him up, he soon retracted his hand once more.

Then he sighed and turned back around again, rising from the hammock and heading downstairs, into the larger bedroom.

Since their visit to Astral World, the alien had become capable of moving further away from the golden key, than he had been before.

He was unsure of why that was, but he assumed it had to do with the pregnancy and him still being solid, despite the time that had passed since his time ended.

He still couldn't leave the house without the key being with him, but the limit of his free movement area had increased to the point where he could go to the bottom of the staircase which lead to the living room, without Yuma having to come along.

It was a good thing for them, seeing as Astral tended to get hungry, or need the bathroom, during the night, and in this way, he didn't have to wake Yuma up every time he had to go.

He could move the same distance away from Yuma outside the house as well, like when they were at school, but he rarely ever did. He much preferred remaining near his other half, still uncomfortable at the looks and attention he continuously received when they were out in public.

He shivered involuntarily at the thought, then glanced around him. First, he looked at the school-uniforms laid out on what was supposed to be Yumas bed, but which hardly ever functioned as anything but storage space.

Then he shook his head and looked around for the snacks which they had started bringing to the room every night, in case he got hungry, quickly spotting them on Yumas' desk.

"Thank you, Yuma" he thought to himself, grateful that the young man had placed the snacks in plain view. Moistening his lips, he sat down in the office-chair in front of the desk and grabbed an apple. They had discovered that he preferred fresh fruit, over rice or vegetables.

He himself, hadn't been surprised at that. The rice was a heavy snack, compared to the fruit. And saltier, usually, as well. Astral preferred it sweet.

Like this apple. It had a beautiful red color, and its juice was cool and sugary. It satisfied some strange need within him, which he wasn't sure where hailed from.

Once he'd finished the apple, he grabbed a few of the crackers as well, before heading out the room, aiming for the bathroom.

He felt a, by now, familiar urge surfacing, though it wasn't urgent yet, and as he was hoping he'd be able to sleep once he returned to the attic, he figured he might as well go and get some relief, before attempting it again.

As he sat down, just like Yuma had told him to, his thoughts started circling around their most pressing dilemma once again.

It had been a week since they came back from the hospital, and Yuma was almost back to his old self, attending school again and receiving extra classes to catch up on what he had missed.

He still had some issues with tiring easily, but his appetite was as big as ever and he still enjoyed playing the duel game on his phone, even as he didn't have much time to duel with his friends for real, at the moment.

Astral appreciated that though. He was worried actual A.R.V. duels might still be too challenging for Yuma, physically and mentally, so it pleased him that Yuma wasn't foolish enough to attempt them yet.

But despite all this, the two of them still hadn't found the courage to inform Haru and Kari of their secret.

He placed a hand on his stomach, sighing quietly.

"You sure give us a lot of worries already little one" he whispered "and you're barely even a couple of months old. I wonder what it will be like later on? And once you get here…".

He closed his eyes and once more reached out for the tiny spark of life inside him.

It was still there, just like it had been every time, since he started attempting to reach it. It couldn't reach back, but he felt that it was there.

He swallowed, then wiped and rose again, moving to the sink where he started washing his hands. The whole house was quiet, except for the sound of the running water. Astral liked that time of night. When no one was sending him strange glances or asking him questions.

It was the most peace he could find in this still, to him, alien world, despite the years he'd spend in it by now. And Astral valued peace.

Suddenly, the blue-skinned being felt a pang of fear so powerful, it made him lean heavily against the sink, his heartbeat picking up speed rapidly.

Next thing he knew, he felt more than heard the panicked calling across the shimmering bond he shared with…

"Yuma!" he cried out, quickly turning off the water and drying his hands in the nearest towel, before busting out of the door and flying back to Yumas bedroom as fast as he could.

The fright he felt was clear as day and he was almost certain he knew what had caused it. At least, he hoped it was only that, and not something more… sinister.

As he came into the bedroom, he could hear the gasps coming from the attic instantly and pushing the door shut behind him with a foot, he quickly moved to the hatch and up into the attic, whilst calling for his partner.

"Yuma, Yuma! I'm on my way, please, calm down! Yuma!" he said and then he popped through the hatch and glanced around him.

Yuma was sitting in the hammock, eyes wide and shining with fear. He was hyperventilating, one hand clutching the key around his neck and the other, the blanket covering his groin, tightly.

Astral groaned inwardly. This really did seem to be the same as all the other times.

Quietly, he flew over to the hammock, hovering in front of Yumas eyes as he reached him, and placing a hand over that of Yumas', which was holding the key.

"Yuma, my love. Breathe. Remember to breathe. Nice, deep breaths. And long, slow exhales. Come on my love, breathe with me now" he said tenderly and started the usual rituals.

After several, long minutes, Yuma finally seemed to calm down and once he did, he fell back in the hammock, groaning with pain and blushing with shame.

"There we go" Astral said caringly and moved until he could lie down next to Yuma, face to face.

Yumas eyes were closed, so Astral moved a hand slowly to his partners chest, feeling the young mans' heartbeat beneath his palm.

It was still more rapid than what was normal, but it was slowing little by little.

He also felt cold-sweat on the otherwise warm skin, and he knew, without a doubt, that this had been one of the worse anxiety attacks, Yuma had experienced.

"Are you feeling better now Yuma?" he asked softly, moving a hand to caress Yumas bare arm with slow, calming fingers, as he observed him. Yuma nodded slowly.

"Where were you?" he then asked, not with any blame in his voice, only tiredness.

"I could not sleep, so I went downstairs to get a bit to eat. Then I went to the bathroom for a short while. I was going to return here before long, and I know we have school for the full day tomorrow, so I didn't want to wake you. Forgive me, my love" Astral replied, moving his head to kiss Yumas forehead briefly, before relaxing again.

"You were gone… I had the nightmare again and I woke up and… and you were gone. You weren't here… You weren't here!" Yuma cried out, voice shivering with emotions.

"I know Yuma… I know. I am sorry" Astral responded, still looking at his other half.

A few moments later, Yuma suddenly opened his eyes again and his red, locked on Astrals gold and silver. "From now on, you wake me every time you leave, okay? I… I felt so scared when you weren't there… Just like… in my dream…" the young man said, before his voice broke and he silenced.

"If you wish me to, I will do as you ask my love. Though I do not myself, find it a clever idea. You need to sleep properly, whenever you have the chance. We may not be in the hospital anymore, but you ARE still recovering, after all" Astral commented, but Yuma just told him to shut up, and then inched closer to him, until he could place an arm around the aliens' waist.

His other hand, he put under his head, to lie better in the hammock, which swung lightly from side to side after his moving about.

"I don't care. Wake me Astral, you got that?" he mumbled, eyes now closed again and head resting near Astrals shoulder.

"Of course, Yuma" the alien responded, sighing lightly afterwards.

He felt more tired now, than he had before. Surely now, he'd be able to sleep a bit, before they'd have to get up again, to prepare for school…

"Hey… Hey, you! Astral!" Yuma whispered, eyes on the distant-looking alien beside him.

Astral was playing with a pencil between his fingers, seemingly not paying any attention to their sensei.

Yuma frowned, then poked his partner with an elbow.

"Astral!" he whispered again and this time, the other seemed to jolt slightly in his chair, before turning his head to look at the other. "Are you feeling alright?" Yuma asked in a low voice and Astral blinked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he responded, in an equally lowered tone.

"You seem… kind of far away" Yuma commented, glancing at the textbook between them, trying to keep track of where they were in it, as well as what might be going on with his pregnant lover.

"Oh, I do?" Astral replied, lowering his eyes again and staring at the pencil still in his hand.

"Yeah, you do" Yuma said, frowning now. "So, what's up?".

Astral sighed. "I guess I'm just worried" he replied.

"About what?" Yuma asked.

"Well… We've been out of the hospital for more than two weeks now and we still… Haven't told your family about… You know what" the alien responded.

"Well, we're in no hurry, right? I mean, we've still got plenty of time to go on, don't we? Nothing is gonna show for another month or more, if it ever will, considering your… origin. So, I just figured… We'd do it when the timing felt right" Yuma said, blushing faintly at his own insecurity and anxiousness in telling his grandma and sister.

"Yuma… They should be told soon… We may not have as much time as you think" the blue being responded, making Yumas frown deepen.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Astral swallowed, then lifted his head and looked at him.

"I have read that human females are pregnant for 40 weeks, meaning 10 months. But Astralians usually carry their child for far less. In fact, it is as little as 24 weeks, or 6 months. And considering that in our case, it is me, the Astralian, that is carrying the child, we have to be prepared for a potentially shortened pregnancy" the alien replied, making Yumas eyes widen slightly.

"So, what you mean is… You could give birth almost 4 months earlier than a human would?" he asked and Astral nodded.

"But, but… the child is going to be half-human as well. So, how high of a risk is there for that happening?" Yuma now asked, eyes still locked on Astral.

"I would say a fairly high one Yuma. Perhaps not after 6 months, but I do not believe it will be much longer than that. Maybe 7, but that is only because the child, as you state, will be half human too. The 6 months is how long it takes for an Astralian child to develop fully and prepare itself to be born.

The one to give birth, is not the only one who is risking life during the delivery. The child too, may suffer, for it will spend energy on being born, just like the one birthing it will spend energy, giving birth.

And it can be quite overwhelming to come into the world, especially for an Astralian child, who by nature, is far more mentally developed when it is given life, than any human one will ever be" the blue being replied, making Yuma scratch the back of his head somewhat nervously at his partners serious expression.

"Well, good thing it's half human as well then. Maybe it won't be as challenging for it, than if it had been purely Astralian" he said, his voice too, reflecting his current nervousness. He was insecure about how to react to Astrals words.

His other half was most definitely being very serious, and what he was mentioning seemed to worry him greatly, so how was Yuma supposed to react?

"Maybe" Astral repeated, lowering his head again and once more focusing on his pencil. "But because of these uncertainties, I think we should tell your family about the child as soon as possible… Today, if we can".

Yuma jolted in his chair at that proclamation, but after a few moments, he turned away from Astral and sighed quietly.

"Oh… alright then Astral… Maybe we can do it at dinner" he replied, voice barely audible.

"After all, I have school until 5 today" he added, before he silenced and seemed to focus on the class once more.

He didn't though. He couldn't. Not when all his thoughts now circled around what, and how, to tell Kari and Grandma, once they got home…


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 **A/N:** _ **Hello everyone! I'm back, with the next chapter! :D**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy, my lovely readers!**_

 _ **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**_

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"Yuma, what's all this about? I have a deadline to meet you know!" Kari complained, seated in the couch as she was, next to Haru.

"So… sorry, Kari" Yuma apologized, blushing and lowering his head.

"Calm down Kari, can't you see poor Yuma is having enough trouble with what he needs to do as it is?" Haru scolded, looking at her granddaughter.

Kari sighed, looking grumpy, as she crossed her arms over her chest and one leg over the other, staring at her brother. "Well, get it over with already then Yuma!" she said.

Yumas blush seemed to turn crimson as she spoke and one of his hands shot up to the key around his neck, where it closed tightly around the cold metal.

Astral looked at him, hovering beside him as he was. His arms were hanging loosely down along his sides, and his eyes were slightly darkened.

He knew how hard this was for Yuma, feeling his partners anxiety clearly across their bond, as well as a sensation insecurity and shame.

The alien sighed. Was this really how Yuma felt about the pregnancy? Shameful?

In a way, it made sense. He was only 17 after all. And though their special relationship may have been noticed by Yumas family, they'd never had any complete confirmation of it.

Well, this sure would be. Astral hoped his assumptions about their reactions to the news, would be proven right. He wasn't sure Yuma could handle it if they were to meet the announcement with anger, or hostility.

"Come on kid! Spit it out already!" Kari said loudly, throwing her hands up in a gesture of frustration.

Haru observed her grandson in silence, occasionally letting her eyes wander to Astral as well, before returning them to Yuma.

"Yuma, you can do this" Astral said across their bond, eyes glancing at the young man beside him, who was now pale and appeared almost like he'd gone without sleep for a week, dark lines suddenly painfully obvious beneath his eyes and worried wrinkles in his forehead.

"Right" Yuma responded faintly to Astrals words, though he didn't move his head to look at him.

Astral then noticed that Yuma had clenched his fists at his sides and was shivering lightly, head lowered, and eyes locked on the floor in front of his feet.

He contemplated saying something, but before he could, Yuma seemed to have gathered his nerves enough to finally speak.

"I… I'm gonna… I'm gonna be a dad!" he exclaimed, blurting it out like it was nothing, though clearly it was something which affected him deeply.

Astral sighed. But Yuma had said it now, and all they could was wait for his sister and grandmothers' reactions.

When they came though, they weren't exactly what he had expected.

"Well yeah, of course you are, you idiot!" Kari said "I have no doubt you'll be a dad someday! Why the hell would you call this little meeting to share something like that? Come on Yuma…".

"Kari is right Yuma. And you're going to be a great father, just like Kazuma, when the time comes" Haru chimed in, both ladies nodding and Haru sending him and Astral a big smile.

"No, you're wrong" Yuma said, voice lowered.

"What do you mean Yuma? Are you not planning on having kids? But you just" Kari said, but before she could finish, Yuma interrupted her.

"No Kari! I'm not gonna be a dad 'someday'! I'm going to be a dad in just a few months!" he exclaimed, angrily, though his voice was now audibly shaking.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" Kari asked, looking confused.

Haru too, seemed incapable of understanding what her grandson was telling them.

Yuma groaned in irritation, but then his head shot up and his clenched fists tightened even further as he yelled "Astral is pregnant, okay?! He's in his second month already, you get that?! And it's mine!".

His face flushed with red as he silenced, and he quickly turned his head away, eyes closed, as Kari and Haru took a few moments to understand what they'd just been told.

Then Kari started laughing.

"Very funny Yuma" she said, still laughing softly "but really, you're taking practical jokes a bit too far now! Come on, there's no way Astral can be pregnant. He's a guy! And so are you! So, it's simply not physically possible".

Haru, though not laughing, seemed to agree.

"Come now Yuma, be realistic. I do not find this very funny" she said.

"I'm afraid this is no joke Haru, Kari" Astral now said, deciding to speak up in the face of Yumas raging emotions and the reactions of the two women.

"Yuma is telling you the truth. I AM pregnant. And Yuma is the father".

"What the hell?! You're in on this too Astral!?" Kari exclaimed, rising from the couch angrily.

"Listen Kari, we're NOT joking!" Yuma said, taking a step towards his sister, hands still clenched, though he'd raised one in front of himself angrily.

"But there's no way Yuma! No fucking way! Both of you are male, aren't you?!" Kari said, now locking her eyes on Astral, who, despite feeling very uncomfortable at the whole situation, nodded to her.

"Yes" he responded "it is true that both Yuma and I are male, however in Astral world, we, the males, are the ones who carry the children. And during my time, my body… changed, somewhat, to better accommodate the fact that I am partnered with… another male".

"What… the… hell… do… you… mean… by… that?" Kari asked, looking shocked and angry on the same time.

"Our time is something that occurs when Astralians reach maturity, or simplified, when we become capable of producing off-spring" Astral replied, intent on making Kari and Haru understand that it wasn't all Yumas fault.

"It calls the partners to one another" he added "to heighten the chance of this happening as soon as it is possible.

So… Though I did not think it possible, precisely BECAUSE both Yuma and I are males, my body seems to have adjusted according to what was necessary for me to, well… create a child, in this scenario. And this" he placed a hand over his stomach absentmindedly at that "is the result".

"And don't think we're gonna get rid of it, Kari!" Yuma said, once the alien silenced "we've already decided to keep it and raise it together!".

For the longest time, the room was completely silent.

Not a sound was heard, except for Yumas rapid breathing, which only slowly calmed down, and this not until Astral took his hand and their eyes locked on one another.

But then, finally, Kari spoke up, her eyes locked on Astral.

"How could you trap him like that?!" she said, voice harsh "he's only 17! And you trapped him, KNOWING what your time was intended for!

There's no WAY, Yuma can be a dad! He's still in school – And he's going to finish it and go on to college! That was ALWAYS the plan!

How could you DO this to him?!".

Haru didn't say a word.

Astral blinked rapidly, lowering his head.

"I… I did not know… He was another male, so it shouldn't… I" he started, but Kari cut him off.

"You KNEW your time was intended to create offspring! What the hell is wrong with you?! I TRUSTED you!" she exclaimed.

Astral felt tears burning in his eyes, but he couldn't look at her.

A moment later, Kari had jumped over to them and had forced his and Yumas hands apart, pushing Astral away from her little brother.

Astral, shocked, fell to the floor, groaning quietly as he landed on his elbow and hip.

Yuma, honestly shocked at his sisters' behavior, felt the pain as his lover was injured.

"Astral!" he cried out, rushing past Kari, whose eyes widened with surprise as he did, even as she tried grabbing his wrist to stop him, though his agility made her unsuccessful.

Kneeling beside Astral, he placed an arm around the alien, taking one of his hands with his own free one.

"Astral, are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked, anxiously.

Astral shook his head. "I'm alright Yuma… Do not worry about me" he replied, voice faint.

"You're obviously not" Yuma commented, pulling him in to a gentle hug.

"Yuma, please. Let go of me" Astral asked, voice barely a whisper.

He couldn't face Karis anger.

And he most certainly couldn't let Yuma become hostile with his family.

Weakly, he attempted to pull away from his beloved, but Yuma wouldn't let him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said quietly "I won't let Kari separate us. I won't.

If it means I have to… leave her, and Grandma, I will, as long as I can be with you. I can get a job. I'll provide for us, AND the baby, once it comes".

"Yuma…" Astral replied, faintly, but he didn't know what to say. He couldn't let Yuma do that.

Then Haru finally spoke.

"Kari, stop it" she said, harsher than usually, as she too rose from the couch and went over to Yuma and Astral, putting her hand on Astrals cheek.

Astral lifted his head at her motion, looking at her with tired, wet eyes.

For a while, Haru observed him quietly, but then she smiled.

"It will be fine" she said, encouragingly "with us behind the two of you, I believe you and Yuma will do fine in raising a child".

"Grandma, what the hell?!" Kari exclaimed, but Haru ignored her.

"I cannot say that I approve of my grandson having a child at the age of 17, or I guess it will be 18 by the time it comes, but I do approve of him choosing the responsible thing when faced with such a dilemma.

I would honestly have been quite disappointed if the two of you decided to have it removed.

If you are old enough to engage in the things related to making a child, then you are old enough to face any potential consequences.

I am proud that he chooses to face it head on, as he always has" the old woman said, sending Astral a smile, before placing the hand not currently on Astrals cheek, on Yumas shoulder, proceeding to send her grandson a smile as well.

"And I am certain your parents would agree, Yuma" she then added.

Astral, overcome by gratitude towards her suddenly, rose and leaned down, placing his arms around her in an impromptu hug.

The first he had ever given her, or anyone from Yumas family.

"Thank you" he said, voice a low whisper, and Haru smiled.

"Hang in there Astral" she whispered in response "I know Kari might seem very angry right now, but it is only because she is so very protective of her brother.

Forgive her words. If you give her a few days, I'm sure she'll come around".

Astral, pulling slightly away from her, locked his eyes on hers and, seeing the sincerity in them, he nodded once.

"I will" he said quietly, before letting go of her again.

Yuma had risen during their conversation and was now locking one of his arms around Astrals waist, kissing his neck tenderly.

Kari was still fuming with anger, and watching the display between Yuma and Astral, she let out something close to a growl, then stormed out of the room, slamming the door to her workspace behind her as she disappeared.

Yuma sighed audibly, with Astral mirroring this, then all but collapsed on the couch, placing a hand over his eyes. Haru observed him.

"She just needs time Yuma" she then said after a bit "this news is completely unexpected, for both of us".

"Man, I hope you're right Grandma" Yuma replied, voice tired and slightly hoarse.

"I hate it when she's this mad at me".

Haru chuckled softly, but then sobered somewhat again.

"Yuma" she said after a little "be responsible and go to bed at a reasonable hour tonight, okay?".

Yuma, frowning, glanced at her through his fingers, but then just nodded.

"I will Grandma. I'll head upstairs now and do a bit of homework, then hit the sack" he replied and Haru nodded.

As she turned to leave, Yuma said softly "thanks for being so cool with this Grandma… If you'd been that angry too, I don't know what…".

He silenced then and Haru send him another smile in response, before she left for her own room, trusting Yuma to head upstairs in his own time…


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

 **A/N:** _ **Hello everyone! I'm back, with the next chapter! :D**_

 _ **It's kind of late, because of real life and me having writers block ^^''**_

 _ **Sorry about that ^^''**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you can all still enjoy it**_ __

 _ **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**_

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Something disturbed him as he slept.

Was it… What was that sound?

The sound echoed again, and images started appearing in his sleep-dazed thoughts.

What… was it… Crying?

Yawning, he slowly opened his eyes, groaning quietly as he was pulled out of the comfortable slumber he'd been in.

The crying was still present. It was low, but definitely there.

Turning on to his other side, he lifted himself up on an elbow and glanced down at his partner.

"Astral?" he said quietly, questioningly.

He heard Astral gasp beneath his breath, and noticed how the other seemed to stiffen, trying to steady his breathing, so that he would appear asleep.

Yuma sighed quietly at the vain attempt. "What's wrong?" he then asked, voice low and gentle, moving a hand and placing it on Astrals shoulder.

"No… nothing…" Astral replied, making Yuma roll his eyes at him.

"Oh really, is that so?" he said "then I guess you wouldn't mind this!".

As he said that, he grabbed Astrals shoulder tightly, forcing him to roll onto his back beneath him and pinning his hands in the bed above the aliens' head.

Astral tried to move so that he could cover his eyes with an arm, but before he managed it, Yuma claimed a passionate kiss from his cool lips, dazing the alien.

Once Yuma broke the kiss again, Astral was shivering and tears were running silently down his cheeks.

Yuma frowned, releasing him and holding himself up in the bed with his hands on either side of the other.

"Astral… My precious love, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Don't try and lie to me, okay? You know I can tell if you are" he said, kissing the salty tears away from the others skin.

"I… I'm sorry Yuma" the alien mumbled, then swallowed, before he continued "it's just… We can't do anything about it anyways, so just forget it…".

"Astral, enough!" Yuma exclaimed "tell me why you're crying!".

Astral sighed, then swallowed, eyes closed, and head turned as much away from Yuma as he could in their current position.

"Kari… she was so mad at us. At me… If this drives a wedge between the two of you, I… And isn't she right? Didn't I, in all honesty, know there was a risk, however impossible it seemed?

I'm forcing you into something that you shouldn't have been worrying about for another 10 years or something… I deserve all her hatred…" the blue being said, voice low and shaking slightly.

"Astral…" Yuma said, voice tender and filled with sympathy.

After a little, he moved a hand to place a couple of fingers on the others' cheek, forcing him to turn his head just enough for the young man to kiss him deeply.

When their lips separated again, Yumas eyes were soft and a small smile was on his lips. The perfect image of comfort, Astral thought.

"You're not forcing me in to anything, love" Yuma said, voice lowered.

"I had a choice you know. I could just have said that I didn't want to have anything to do with any of this, knowing that you'd just have been taken care of in Astral World instead, if that had been the case.

Knowing, that you would accept my refusal and leave, and then I'd never have to see you ever again…

But I chose to take responsibility.

It took the both of us to create this being and it will take both of us to raise it. I don't want to not be a part of its life. Of yours.

Though… I must admit that I too, am a little troubled by Karis' reaction. I'm really worried that she's never going to speak to me again and well… With mom and dad still travelling so much for work… Having to lose Kari as well is… well, it's scary.

But Grandma says she just needs time and I choose to believe her. Once things sink in, Kari will understand. She will accept what is, I'm sure of it!

So, worrying about it, is a waste of time and energy!

I know it's not easy Astral, but you have to try and have a little faith in sis as well, okay?".

The human male silenced, still smiling at Astral.

The alien looked into the others' eyes for a long while, in complete silence, but then he finally smiled, albeit faintly, and nodded, moving his arms up to wrap them around Yumas' neck.

"You're right, Yuma" he said softly "I will try".

Yumas' smile widened. "Good!" he said, then lay back down beside the other again, placing himself on his side so that he could look at him.

After a while though, he suddenly rolled on to his back and placed an arm beneath his head, looking at the ceiling.

"It's strange, sleeping in my bed again" he said after a bit, not looking at Astral.

"I haven't really used it much since mom and dad first disappeared. I guess using it now, once more, brings it to full circle, since they're technically not missing any longer, even though they aren't present".

Astral looked at him, somewhat sleepily, though he didn't say anything. He just let Yuma continue with his trail of thought.

"What do we do next time Eliphas and Enna summons you?" the young man asked "I mean, I don't want you to go there alone… I don't know why, but somehow, I don't really trust them to let you back here, if I didn't come with you".

Astral, understanding that he was expected to reply this time, hesitated for a few seconds, but then said "I do not believe they would imprison me there Yuma, but I must be honest with you. I do not wish to go there without you.

It sounded like they expected me to stay for a few days once I went there again and I… I don't wish to be apart from you for even a few hours".

Yumas' smile widened at that and he moved an arm around Astral, pulling him closer to himself, still with his other arm under his head and not looking at the alien.

"Well, that's good then. That means you won't object when I force my way on to your ship as you prepare to leave" Yuma replied and Astral blinked, somewhat confused.

"I would never" he started, but then he noticed Yumas expression and sighed softly, shaking his head ever so gently, before he moved so that he could rest it on Yumas chest, caressing his stomach and side with one hand, whilst the other rested near his head.

"Say Astral" Yuma said after a while of silence.

"Hmm?" Astral responded.

After a bit, Yuma flipped on to his side again, making Astral move away slightly as he did.

Then the human placed a hand on Astrals cheek, and moved closer to him again, so that they could kiss passionately.

When he withdrew, it was only a little bit, as he moved an arm around Astrals waist and let his hand wander to the others rounded rear.

With his other hand, he let the fingers run seductively down Astrals neck and to his chest, where he started playing softly with a nipple.

As he did this, he claimed his lovers' lips again and Astral moaned against him, opening his mouth and inviting the other inside.

Their tongues wrestling one another, it was all the alien could do, not to cry out with pleasure, even with this relatively little stimulation.

His hands started roaming on Yumas body, grasping at skin once in a while, or tightening their hold around an arm when they came within reach of one.

Yuma, sensing that Astral was responding to his actions, then went on to release his lovers mouth, only to move his lips down and envelop the nipple he'd just been playing with, suckling slightly as he did.

Astral moaned, closing his eyes and arching his back, unable to remain still.

Yuma smirked against his lovers' chest, letting his hand travel lower, until he could touch the slit between Astrals legs.

The alien willingly spread his thighs further apart, so that Yuma had more room to move in, and the human wasn't late in beginning his ministrations.

Rubbing the slit until it was noticeably wet, at which point Astrals' cheeks had flushed with heat and his nipples had stiffened, his whole body, shivering with anticipation, Yumas' breath fastened, and he started panting, sweat springing forth on his skin, as he moved his lips up to his lovers' neck and kissed it, sucking until he'd left a visible mark there.

"Astral" he then said, voice passionate and his breath like fire against the alien, as the young man leaned down over him, mouth next to Astrals' ear, even as Yuma continued his rubbing of the slit between his thighs.

"I… I want you to… take me… like you did, back then… in the toilets at school… Remember, I said I… really liked it" he said, in between breaths, voice hoarse with desire. "Is there a way that… you could perhaps… penetrate me? I would really love… to feel you… inside me".

Astral moaned at the pleasure, his human partners breathing against his skin, caused within him.

But the others' words surprised him and startled, he opened his eyes half-way, glancing at Yuma, though he could only see his neck and some of his hair, in their current position.

"What are you… saying, Yuma?" he asked, his own breathing rapid with arousal.

"You hear me" Yuma whispered against his ear, before he started kissing it. "I… want… to… feel… you… inside… me" he added, in between lips meeting skin.

"Is it possible? After all, you are male after all… Didn't you say once… that your body adjusted… to me, being your partner?

So then, can you change it… at will? Like when you make yourself… solid".

Astral let out a loud moan, as one of Yumas hands caressed a gem at his shoulder, and his hold around the other tightened painfully as his body jolted.

He frowned. Was Yuma really asking, what Astral thought he was?

"Ahh!" he gasped, as his partner kissed his earlobe, but once this wave of pleasure passed through him, he said, in a shivering voice "yes… I… may be able to… accommodate your… wish… But… It would require a great deal of… focus… Just like when I… become solid".

Yuma felt his heartbeat fasten at Astrals confirmation of his uttered suspicions and smirked against the blue skin.

"Do it" he said, biting into his aliens' neck, to leave yet another mark on him.

It wasn't something he usually did, but for some reason, he was feeling uncharacteristically possessive tonight.

Perhaps it had to do with his worry about Enna and Eliphas imprisoning Astral once he returned to Astral World.

He wasn't sure, but it seemed plausible.

"Yuma, I" Astral started, but then hissed with pleasure, as Yuma bit him.

It was very unlike him, but in a way, the alien liked it.

His hold around Yuma tightened briefly, before he relaxed somewhat again.

His whole body was still hot with desire, and his breathing was rapid.

He wanted, NEEDED, to be unified with Yuma again and his partners suggestion… actually appealed to him.

He'd wanted to try the same thing for a while, though he'd never mentioned it, thinking Yuma would be against it.

After all, for two males to be joined properly, there was only one opening on Yuma that he could use, and he knew it would most likely be quite painful.

Also, he'd never thought Yuma would be in to that sort of thing, though the fact that he seemed curious, pleased him.

"I… I might hurt you" the alien said, voice betraying his worry, but Yuma just shook his head.

"You could never hurt me" he replied, repeating the words which he had said so often, during Astrals' time.

And Astral swallowed heavily, moistening his lips, feeling less inclined to dispute the others statement, than ever before.

"Alright, if you are certain" he said, tightening his hold around the other once more "I will try".

And with those words, even as Yuma continued to kiss him, sometimes sucking on his skin and accompanying his actions with a touch of one or more of the gems on the aliens' body, Astral closed his eyes and focused on bringing forth the organ of his desire…


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 **A/N:** _ **OMG! 30 chapters now! :O**_

 _ **I never imagined it would become this long, and still, I am not done with it, though real life is taking up a lot of time right now ^^''**_

 _ **This next chapter is a sexy one, but also somewhat rough, so be warned ;)**_

 _ **Happy Halloween, my precious readers! (^_^)**_

 _ **Please, don't forget to R &R ! :)**_

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Soon, he had succeeded, and an instant moan escaped him once it manifested properly and was immediately rubbed against Yumas' heated skin.

"Ah!" he gasped, the sensation so unusual to him after his past years with the human, that it even surprised himself. But it didn't feel bad. In fact, it felt really good. Almost too good. Just moments after the organ had come forth, Astral felt his heartbeat begin to race and his breath became heavy panting.

He was shivering from the overstimulation to his senses and he found himself clinging to Yuma, as if for dear life.

Yuma felt the tightening of his partners hold on him and, though himself deep in the hold of desire and passion, halted his motions so that he could lift his head and look at Astral.

The alien opened his eyes halfway, glancing at him. "So… sorry" he stammered "I'm just not… used to this sensation…". Yuma nodded and send him a small smile. "It's okay Astral. You can take a moment to adjust" he responded, pulling a little away from the other, in an attempt at getting a good look on this new change of his body.

The sight he saw, was breathtaking to his hazy mind. The skin on the organ was taut and the same hue as the rest of his body. It was already erect, and heat radiated off it, even at a distance.

Yuma also noticed its size. Thinking of his own manhood, he saw that Astrals' seemed smaller and thinner than his. Not that it wasn't still impressive. It fit the rest of the aliens' proportions quite well.

"Yu… Yuma?" he suddenly heard Astrals' shy voice, lowered, calling his name.

Startled, the young man lifted his head until his eyes met Astrals and then his entranced features, melted into a soft smile. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on Astrals' forehead, as he moved a hand to caress the others blushing cheek.

"You're so beautiful Astral… Every part of you" he whispered against the blue-skinned beings ear, before allowing his free hand to run down along Astrals chest, with the still stiffened nipples, his side and his thigh, moving it around his lovers back, to settle on the rear and give it a hard squeeze.

Astral gasped as he did, nuzzling his head against Yumas' shoulder. After a few seconds, the human then started kissing his neck and the sensitive gems, as his hand moved to the front again and his fingers wrapped around Astrals' newly revealed member.

"Ah! Ahh!" the alien gasped, throwing his head back and pushing his body closer to Yumas' as he did.

At the sound, Yuma felt his member begin to throb and he moaned quietly against the gem he was currently offering his attention. Still, he didn't forget what the true purpose of their current situation was and slowly he moved his hand which had been on Astrals' cheek, to one of the others' hands, currently digging in to his back.

Grabbing it, he slowly led it to his own glory, whilst whispering hoarsely "you… touch me… too… Astral".

The alien swallowed hard, but he had touched Yuma many times in the past and so it wasn't anything new to him. He allowed himself to be led and wrapping his fingers around Yumas' erection, he started rubbing up and down it in a pace he knew from experience, that his human partner appreciated.

Yuma too, started moaning as his member received the attention of Astrals' slender, cool fingers. The sensation was amazing as always, though for some reason, it seemed even better than usual, now that he was touching Astrals' glory too, which he'd never done before.

After a while, Astrals' motions got more rapid and his breathing grew faster and heavier. Yuma started feeling a familiar warmth pooling in his stomach, and he knew he was close to his peak.

Moaning, he attempted to match Astrals pace, but suddenly, he found himself being swung about and pressed hard against the bed beneath them. He gasped in surprise, but before he could collect himself, Astrals lips had locked over his and the alien was lifting one of his legs, his fingers moving from Yumas' erection, around to his rear, where they started prodding against the opening there.

His alien was impatient now and growing even more so by the second. His fingers played with Yumas hole and the human found himself strangely anxious, as Astral became more insistent. "A… Astral" he tried "I… don't think this will work… unless you… find something to ease the entering with".

Astral hissed in annoyance, and looking at him again, Yuma now noticed that something seemed to have changed in his lovers' eyes. They seemed ablaze somehow, their color more like Yumas' own, than the blue beings' usual ones.

This was another thing, which Yuma had never seen before. No matter Astrals' level of arousal and desire, his eyes had never changed like they seemed to do now.

In a way, it was scarier than anything Yuma had seen before, even compared to the time where Astral had become dark and evil.

Sensing the others frustration, and his continued prodding, Yuma swallowed, gathering up his courage, before he spoke. "Astral… In the drawer… beside the bed… There's… lubricant, there" he said and immediately, the alien turned his attention to the mentioned drawer, pulling it open and finding his desired item.

Since Yuma had started fantasizing about being claimed by Astral, and whether it might even be possible or not, he'd done some searching on the internet, to try and figure out what he might need, should it become relevant. That was why he now had the lubricant close by when in bed, just in case. And this time, it paid off.

With a small sigh of relief, Yuma smiled up at his alien, as the other started examining the tube, before opening it and pressing some of its contents into his palm. Sniffing it, then poking at it and rubbing some of it between two fingers, Astral analyzed the liquid, before glancing down at Yuma beneath him.

His cheeks flushed further when he saw the young mans' smile and he gasped quietly in astonishment. Even through his hazy mind, Yuma looked amazing at that moment, open and vulnerable, yet passionately reddened and with eyes that seemed to overflow with trust and desire.

Then his thoughts were lost to him again, once more consumed by desire and arousal. Astral had never felt anything like these emotions, this powerfully before. It was as if he became something, or perhaps someone, else and though it frightened him, he couldn't control himself at all.

His hand which held the lubricant, moved to Yumas' rear, as his other hand rested on his lovers' chest for a moment, before running down it and his stomach, feeling the soft, heated skin as it did, further enhancing the blue skinned beings' arousal.

With a moan, Astral started prodding Yumas opening again, and now that his fingers were covered in lubricant, it didn't take long before the first one slid inside.

The sensations startled Yuma, but it wasn't uncomfortable as such. It just made him feel somewhat full, as his muscles clenched around the intrusion.

Once Astral poked in a secondary finger though, and then a third, Yuma cried out in pain and surprise. It burned, a lot. And it felt as though he desperately needed a toilet. At his cry, Astral seemed to freeze suddenly and his passionately glowing eyes, dimmed somewhat. "Yu… Yuma?" he managed to croak out, his eyes locked on Yumas'.

"Ah… I'm… sorry Astral… It's just… a little painful. Don't worry… I'm sure… It'll pass soon. Just give me a moment… to adjust to it" Yuma responded, voice strained with a mix of desire and worry.

Astral could only nod, as his eyes remained on Yuma, observing him silently. After a minute, the alien started shivering and moaned quietly, his breathing hard, as though he was straining himself. Yuma swallowed, then moved until he could wrap his arms around the others neck. "It's… okay Astral. You can move again now" he said.

As soon as he gave his consent, Astral started twisting and turning his three fingers again, under Yumas' quiet groans, until he suddenly stopped and removed them, staring down at his partners rear. He seemed transfixed for a little, then he swallowed loudly, before grabbing the tube of lubricant again and pressing more of it into his hand, followed by rubbing it on to his own, very visibly erect, organ.

It twitched as he applied it, and Yuma heard Astral gasp loudly, before he finished his project and adjusted himself on the bed, moving on to his knees properly and then moving his hands beneath Yumas' rear, pulling him close enough for the human to feel the strong heat radiating off of him.

Glancing at his eyes, Yuma saw that they seemed to shine even more than before and he swallowed, entranced by Astrals' beauty, as the blue being stared at his ass.

Moistening his lips, Yuma said in a low whisper "it's time, my love. I'm yours", following his words with a tender kiss to Astrals cheek, before he relaxed back in the bed, eyes focused on his alien and arms holding onto the headboard of his bed.

Astral swallowed as well, then nodded slowly, making the final adjustments to their positions, before he finally pushed forward, sheathing himself inside his beloved.

The two of them cried out simultaneously, Yuma from surprise and pain and Astral from all-consuming passion.

To Yuma, the pain at being penetrated so abruptly, caused him to shiver. It felt like his ass was being split open and his heart beat frantically, afraid as he was that he would be bruised and bleeding before this was over.

Astral did not seem to notice his anxiety and discomfort at all. His eyes were closed and his head thrown back in pure bliss, as he mercilessly pressed as far as he could in to Yuma, only to pull almost out and then force himself inside once more, in a rapid pace.

Yuma squirmed, moving his hands to Astrals' shoulders and squeezing them tightly, until his knuckles turned white. Then, he stretched his fingers again, before digging his nails into the aliens' pale-blue skin.

"Ah! Ahhh! Astral… it… hurts! You're moving… too fast! Ahh!" he gasped, but Astrals' mind was completely lost in lust, desire and passion and he did not sense Yumas' protests at all.

After a long while, much longer than Yuma could keep track of and suddenly longer than he had anticipated, the alien then suddenly slowed his movements and a hand moved from Yumas' thigh onto his half-fallen erection.

With motions as skilled as any professionals, Astral then started rubbing up and down Yumas' cock, occasionally grazing the soft sack beneath its root as well, in a rhythm which matched his, now slowed, thrusts.

And finally, despite the still remaining stinging, Yuma found himself enjoying their new form of unification.

That was, until Astral got closer to his peak. As his arousal spiked, his pace got quicker and more rough, fast. In the end, both Yuma and Astral climaxed on the same time, though the young man's glow was a mix of pain and pleasure.

Afterwards, Astral pulled himself out of his partner and collapsed on the bed beside him, chest rising and falling rapidly with his quick breathing.

Yuma too, was breathing fast and hard, but on the same time, he was moaning in pain. His rear felt like it was on fire and his thighs were soar and reddened.

His face was covered in beads of sweat and unshed tears, stung in his eyes. He didn't regret having requested Astral to claim him.

He just wished he'd known more clearly beforehand, exactly how painful it would be, to be one with an alien…


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 **A/N:** _ **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!**_

 _ **Life's been rough on me lately, lots of stuff going on that's left me gloomy and depressed. But I'm trying to turn a new leaf, here in 2019.**_

 _ **I finally got back to writing, even if only a little, and the first things I wanted to do, was update this for my loyal followers**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and that you will bear with me, as I struggle to get inspiration for my stories xD**_

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Since their heated unification, Astral hadn't claimed Yuma once.

Once he'd realized just how much pain and discomfort he had caused his partner, the alien had backed away from any of the more intimate unions, which Yuma had suggested.

He had been so apologetic and guilt-stricken, that the human hadn't been able to comfort him properly, until his bruises were healed and had disappeared, and he was capable of sitting down properly again.

Several times since then, Yuma had jerked himself off to the thought about that time, respecting the distance Astral had requested between them, but he was beginning to really miss his partners hands roaming over his skin and his own touching of the gems on his beloved ones' body, as well as Astrals delicious reactions to his teasing.

Leaving the bathroom now, after once more having taken care of himself (and not for the first time that day), Yuma sighed despondently. He really wanted to be with Astral again.

The other was still living with him of course, and they still shared a bedroom, talked, went to school together and even cuddled once in a while, but mostly, they slept in separate areas, Yuma in his hammock and Astral in the bed.

Astral was now more than three months in and his belly was beginning to show.

None of Yumas friends had been told about Astrals' pregnancy yet, nor had the school, and all of Yumas' family, as well as the dads-to-be themselves, had agreed that they would loosen the aliens' school-uniform up, so that his stomach was less visible, until it could no longer be hidden.

Yuma was worried his friends wouldn't understand, and would shun him as a result, and his sister and grandmother were concerned with how it would be viewed amongst their circle of acquaintances, that the 17-year-old boy was going to be a dad in less than 6 months.

Not to mention the fact that none of them had been able to get a hold of Yumas' parents yet either, so they would be in for a VERY big surprise, once they, eventually, returned home.

With quiet steps, Yuma returned to his bedroom, to do some homework.

Astral was resting in bed, eyes closed and mind shielded from the humans' vague attempts at communicating without words.

Yuma glanced at him, as he placed himself at his desk, wondering if the other was really sleeping, or if he was awake, but unable to find the answer, he eventually sighed again and turned to the table, his back to Astral.

Quietly, he started on his math.

"Yuma" a lowered voice suddenly sounded behind him, and lifting his head, he turned it to look at its origin.

"You're awake?" he said in response and Astral rolled his eyes.

"Obviously" he commented, looking like he found Yuma infinitely stupid.

Yuma turned away from him as he did, and started gathering up his things. "It's not like I can tell anymore you know, with the way you've closed yourself off to me" he mumbled, mostly to himself, before he continued, a little louder "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll go do my homework downstairs. Though, you should consider doing yours soon too".

With that he rose, books and laptop in his arms, and headed for the door. But just before he turned the handle, the alien stopped him in his tracks.

"I've been thinking" he said from the bed "maybe I should return to Astral world"…

Yuma froze. He felt as though his blood became ice, and his heart stopped. He couldn't breathe.

Shocked, he dropped what he was holding and spun around to face the alien.

"You can't!" he exclaimed, though his voice sounded small and shrill, to his own ears.

"Yuma" Astral began, as he started to protest "it would be for the best for".

Yuma interrupted him. "You're wrong!" he said "dead wrong, Astral! There's no way, you going back to that place, is the best for anyone! Not you, not me and definitely not for what's inside you!".

Astrals' eyes widened at the others reaction, but before he could speak, Yuma was beside him and had locked their lips in a fierce, desperate kiss.

Astral tried to push him away, but Yuma didn't let him. Not this time.

Instead, he intensified the kiss. Made it deeper, more passionate.

Used his tongue to force Astrals lips apart, so it could play with the aliens'.

Slipped a hand behind the aliens' head and the other around his front, before resting it on the growing stomach.

And still, the young man wouldn't release him.

Not until his breath had been completely stolen away and had left him lightheaded, did Astral feel Yumas' heat separate from his own once more.

A hand was on his cheek, and as he looked into his partners eyes, thoughts still hazy from the kiss, he saw that they were brimming with unshed tears.

"Yu…ma?" he said, inquisitively.

"Please don't go Astral" Yuma said in a faint whisper.

"I love you… You need to stop this. Stop blaming yourself!

I should have done this long ago, but I was trying to respect your boundaries!

Well, not anymore! Not if you're seriously thinking about leaving me!".

Astral was speechless.

Yuma looked so unbearably vulnerable like this, and those tears were right there, ready to fall at any second.

How was he supposed to react in a situation like this?

"I" he started, but Yuma interrupted him once more.

"Don't you love me anymore?" he asked, voice breaking at his own words.

"Of course I do!" Astral replied, voice slightly higher pitched than he'd intended.

"Then why do you want to go?" Yuma asked, and now, silent drops of liquid did run down his cheeks, leaving small streaks in their wake.

"I… I can't risk harming you again Yuma, don't you understand? I've wanted you so badly this past week, every hour of every day! My body and mind yearns for you, no matter where we are!

At school, I can't focus on anything, but your presence beside me! In the bus, on the way home, I just sit quietly and stare at you!

When I try to sleep, my thoughts fog over with the memory of you beneath me. Me, inside you, unifying us, both mentally and physically!

It gets me so hot, I can't sleep and I have to go and take care of myself to find even an hour's peace of mind, through sheer exhaustion!

I keep thinking of how it felt. How oblivious I was to anything else.

Your cries of pain, but also of pleasure!

The way your body shook when you climaxed!

The sound of our bodies being joined again and again!

How easy it would be for me to just take what I want!

And then I start burning again, wanting it once more!

But I can't! I can never have it again! I cannot risk it! Not ever!

But every day that passes, makes it harder and harder to fight myself… It's like a craving. Like… I'm addicted… To you".

Finally, Astral silenced once more, but he was shivering and Yuma clearly felt how the aliens' body temperature had risen substantially.

Clearly, he wasn't lying. The blue skin shivered beneath his touch and Astrals eyes were shining with heat and desire.

Yuma barely brushed a finger over one of the gems near Astrals groin, but still the alien moaned and threw his head back.

Yuma moistened his lips and swallowed.

Despite having taken care of himself not half an hour ago, his body was reacting, and soon, he was more than ready to go again.

His erection, trapped inside tight, white pants, was throbbing for attention and was more than visible, even as Yuma tried to ignore it.

"Oh, god, Astral!" he mumbled "you're really being quite troublesome for me".

As he spoke, he grabbed one of Astrals' hands and guided it to his glory, as his other arm wrapped around the aliens' waist and pulled him closer, and he locked their lips in yet another fierce kiss.

"I want you too, Astral. So badly!

I long for your mind to envelop mine. To feel your heat around me, clenching and milking me for every last drop.

Why let fear and worry stop us?

It's clear we both want, need, the same thing" he said, once their lips separated for a brief second, and continued.

"Raw, unbridled sex. Mind-numbing and deliciously hot!

Do you realize how many times a day I need to 'take care of myself' right now?

If you're afraid of hurting me, I can tie you down and take full control. That way, we can both let off some steam.

Maybe if we did, you would see that you aren't a threat to me. I've been working hard these past months you know. I may surprise you".

As he silenced, he moved a hand to Astrals slit, and started rubbing it with two fingers.

They slid rapidly back and forth, reacting to how wet the alien already was, as the sensation drove Yuma to push even further, using three, then four fingers, before he started moving them in and out of his beloved.

And Astral rewarded him with groans and gasps, which left Yuma breathless, and wanting so much more.

Before things got too heated though, Astral regained his senses and pushed Yuma away a little, to give him some space.

Panting, he felt like his mouth was as dry as sand, and swallowed several times before he could speak.

"Al… alright" he moaned "do it! If we're gonna try this again after all that time… Make sure I can't hurt you".

His eyes met Yumas' and they saw that he understood. Kissing his neck softly once, Yuma then left Astral, to crawl up into the attic.

Whilst he was gone, Astral attempted to catch his breath and calm his racing heart.

He was afraid. He knew that he was. Afraid of what would happen, what HE would end up doing.

It seemed like this pregnancy had awoken some ancient beast in him, that he could barely control, and it frightened him

But at least Yuma was taking his precautions this time and that helped him keep his fears at bay.

Soon after, Yuma once more descended from the attic, carrying in his hands some thin, silky-looking rope.

"My father was gifted this years ago, from one of his friends.

Apparently, it was found in the East. Not sure where… But it's definitely less rough than normal rope and yet strong as wire" the young man said, as he walked over to the bed.

"It's fine" Astral replied, his eyes locked on the still very visible bulge in Yumas' white pants.

"Make sure it's bound tightly enough, for me not to wriggle free once we… get going".

Yuma swallowed, as though the mere thought of it alone, had left him closer to his edge than he had been a moment ago, but then he nodded, before he started working on tying the rope around the aliens' wrists…


End file.
